


Auld Lang Syne

by akeetpotato



Category: OneShot (Video Game), Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Culture Shock, Gen, Original Character(s), Originally Posted Elsewhere, Slice of Life, Timeline Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2019-11-12 04:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 69,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18004178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akeetpotato/pseuds/akeetpotato
Summary: 'Mafia disaster strikes The Bay! A new cape appears, with mysterious powers and motives! Can The Major and his Squad uncover the truth and protect this precious child?'





	1. Blitz

Brockton Bay, 1991.

Ten years after the first appearance of Scion, the golden man. Four years after the news of superpowers went public- and the coining of the term parahuman. Two years before the founding of the PRT, Protectorate, and the Triumvirate.

One year before the arrival of Behemoth in Iran, which brought the whole world to its knees.

Twenty years before a young girl in a self-made costume became a terrifying warlord.

This- is not her story.

 

-

 

Despite being September evening in Brockton Bay, it was unseasonably warm thanks to a recent heat wave. The vast majority of the public had rejoiced, spending much of their time outside whether they were relaxing or doing business.

Unfortunately, the Bay’s more unsavory elements were no exception- meaning there was a good chance for some kind of gang conflict in their near future.

A concerned citizen had called the police, reporting suspicious-looking thugs in formal wear and weapons openly drawn at an ‘abandoned’ warehouse in the Docks.

The Major was never one to pass up a lead. He was never one to pass up a fight. Which was why Blitz was walking down a dingy street in full costume- and currently sweating his ass off.

The motorcycle leathers were normally a great choice of costume- providing some protection while still allowing a relatively full range of motion. Plus, in his opinion, they looked cool as hell along with his black motorcycle helmet. (He was currently on his fifteenth helmet, the previous fourteen being broken in earlier violent brawls. It was a good thing that the Major handled their finances.)

But now, he thought as he trudged miserably down the street, his costumes’ lack of breathability had come back to bite him. The leather stuck to his sweaty skin, peeling away with each movement he made.

He’d had his fair share of injuries and pain before- as a brawler, it was a simple fact of life that you’d get stomped every now and again. But this- this was inescapable. It was all over his body. And it was so irritating.

Blitz gave a frustrated growl under his breath. _I swear to God if this is another false alarm I’m going to find that “concerned citizen” and tell them where they can shove-_

His trail of thought broke abruptly off as he rounded a corner. There was the warehouse, and it was certainly not unoccupied. Two men in white dress shirts and black ties sat in folding chairs by the truck entrance, sweat staining their underarms from the heat.

One of them had an electric fan on a nearby table, relaxing in the cool air it blew. Another was sipping what looked to be iced tea. Blitz smiled underneath his helmet. _Mafia thugs on guard duty. This is gonna be a good night._

He strode confidently down the street towards the warehouse, making no effort to conceal himself. Every inch of his body radiated anticipation- well, as much as it could when wearing a full-body costume.

Blitz’s power is somewhat difficult to describe. Someone more poetic or pedantic would liken it to area control, or some type of strategy assistance.

Someone who tried to fight him and lost would probably have compared him to a humanoid typhoon, radiating destruction and pulverizing everything in his path. (They likely would have also compared him to a number of other things, most of which are unfit to print.)

But if you asked Blitz, he would have described his power as being all about the bait and the hook. He wore a fairly recognizable costume simply by refusing to take off his distinctive black helmet.

If he really wanted to attract attention, he could have just used a bright red or orange costume- but he had standards, and wouldn’t be caught dead in neon-colored leathers.

His costume though, was far less important than his demeanor. He strode down the street towards the warehouse, a bounce in his step and a grin on his face. Smug. Overconfident. Condescending. Each brawl was like a performance, and his role began the moment he spotted his enemy.

Even with his face hidden, his body language and reputation spoke just as loudly. Blitz is here- and he’s certain he can take you. Actually, he could take you with one hand behind his back. With his eyes closed. While eating a protein bar.

Costume, Demeanor, and Reputation. All three factors were carefully invoked by him and his team to piss his enemies off. While that did provide a useful tactical advantage, that was only part of his strategy. The main reason was to get himself surrounded by enemies. After all, his power’s strength was most useful when he was surrounded.

The end of the street was coming up quick, the two-story warehouse looming overhead. Considering the guards outside, Blitz estimated that there would be roughly another twenty inside.

The mafia are like roaches, he thought with an internal chuckle. _If you see one, there’s another ten just out of sight._ Twenty thugs? Just enough to break a sweat and make up for skipping his workout that morning.

As he continued his slow walk down the street, he locked eyes with a kid on a door stoop holding a basketball. The kid stared back, eyes wide and mouth agape. Blitz gave him a thumbs up.

Even though his power and temperament didn’t didn’t really lend itself well to good PR, he was still fighting to keep ordinary people safe. The whole team was- and if he had to be the one who dirtied his hands the most, then so be it. The kid weakly returned the wave, confusion evident on his face.

The guards outside the warehouse had seen him by now, one calling out a warning to the other as they rose to their feet and moved to meet him.

Blitz spread his arms wide, silently taunting the men as he continued to walk forward. The exact meaning of the gesture was unclear, but the general intention was something along the lines of ‘come at me.’

The kid’s mouth dropped and the basketball slipped from his fingers as he dashed indoors. It rolled into the street, and Blitz scooped it up without breaking his stride.

 _Mental note. Remember to buy that kid a new basketball once I’m done here._ This evening had just gone from good to great.

More altered mafia thugs were spilling out of the warehouse, readying their weapons. Blitz couldn’t see it, but the kid had returned to his doorway, oversized video camera in his hands.

Blitz walked across the line dividing the road from the warehouse lot, twirling the basketball on one finger. He’d never been particularly skilled at the sport, but he was naturally athletic and had some practice from his younger days. Of course, that experience was only tangentially related to what he was doing tonight.

Four rifles were leveled at him. Two on the top floor, two on the roof. The rest of the thugs were using metal baseball bats or tire irons. The sound of electricity crackled as they gave him twisted grins, and the smell of ozone filled the air.

The local mafia were controlled by a man called Galvanate, true name unknown. As far as anyone knew, his powers did nothing for himself. But they allowed him to empower others, rendering their flesh as durable as iron and giving them powerful electrical discharges.

In terms of numbers and sheer durability, the mafia topped any other criminal group in the Bay. Maybe any criminal group on the east coast.

Blitz tossed the ball into the air and caught it in both hands as he walked forward into the loose circle of melee opponents. He loved fighting the mafia for several reasons. One was because they were the mafia, straight out of Hollywood and Italy. It really made him feel like he’d hit the big leagues- that he was really getting something done by taking them out.

Two was that he didn’t have to worry about holding back. Normal people couldn’t take a punch without internal bleeding and lots of broken bones as a best-case scenario. And that was without going into people who got sent through a brick wall headfirst.

“Evening, gentlemen!” he said, dribbling the basketball with one hand and fanning his face with the other. “It’s really hot out here, so can we get this over wit-”

Blitz _moved_ six inches to the side, letting the high caliber bullet zip past his ear and impact the pavement with a loud crack. His eyes locked with those of the sniper atop the roof, who looked about ready to pee his pants after seeing his enemy dodge his bullet.

Blitz scoffed. “RUDE.” With one arm, he _threw_ the basketball straight up into the air. With the other, he _reached_ for the five pistol bullets coming at him from the front.

Despite what rumors said about him, Blitz didn’t actually _catch_ bullets. Even his increased perception and speed could only do so much with something going above the speed of sound, and the same went for the kinetic impact. He was a good bit more durable than the average person, but the force of a bullet would still crack his bone and pierce through soft tissue.

Which is why he struck the sides of the bullets, redirecting them as he slipped through their changed trajectories. It was all about meeting them in mid-air instead of letting them come to him.

Whenever he threw a punch, his power seemed to enhance durability over the attacking part of his body to an incredible amount. It was for a brief period of time- probably less than a hundredth of a second. But with his power’s enhanced perception it was more than enough.

With the first wave of bullets taken care of, he lept towards the first thug. His eyes were still glancing upwards at the basketball as it practically hung in midair from Blitz’s point of view. Even if the man hadn’t been distracted, there was nothing he could have done about Blitz clotheslining him in under a tenth of a second before moving onwards towards the rest of the melee fighters, _moving_ between them with a series of quick steps and dashes.

He struck the thugs with powerful blows to the head, swept their feet out from under them, and stomped on the last one’s knee to send him to the ground as he felt his incredible boost of speed begin to fade.

After all, the mafia may have been superhumanly durable and bullet-proof, but their joints would dislocate with the proper application of leverage. The others were reacting to him now, time returning to a far more reasonable pace as the effect of his blows made itself clear on the ones he had hit.

Ten men went flying into the air, the wind knocked out of them and limbs crooked. Five lay on the ground, the concrete cracked underneath them from the force of looking somewhat confused. The one with the broken knee cried out as he slumped over, out of the fight as the pain reached him.

Under the cover of the warehouse and too close for the gunmen upstairs to hit him, Blitz smiled cockily. “IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT!” he shouted, gesturing for them to come hither.

With a loud roar, the still standing thugs sprinted towards him. Blitz smiled, his power helping him count the fifteen enemies still standing and the four picking themselves back up. Not only that, but they were charging him from the front. _It’s just like shooting fish in a barrel…_

And that’s when the basketball came back down from his toss earlier, bouncing right into Blitz’s hands. The hero laughed, spinning the ball on his finger with a cocky grin.

The enemy charge broke apart as they slowed to a desperate halt, eyes wide and mouths dry. Every one of them had heard stories about the time Blitz had gotten his hands on a soccer ball when breaking up a mugging by other mafia members. The dents in the brick walls of the alleyway were still visible.

“Oh shi-” was all the thug managed to say before the basketball hit him in the face at roughly three hundred miles per hour. He recoiled back, the movement happening almost too fast for the eye to see.

But for Blitz, he knew where the ball was going as if it was a part of his own body. He hit it back with a palm strike, as it struck a man in the chest and sent him flying bodily clear over the warehouse fence. “NICE AIR, DUDE!”

Roundhouse kick. “SO CLOSE!”

Haymaker. “HOW’S THAT PAVEMENT TASTE!”

Step back kick. “ARE YOU EVEN TRYING!”

One inch punch. “I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY!”

Flip kick. “SUCK A LITTLE LESS!”

A reverse kick sent the ball straight into a guy’s nuts, a brutal move that even made Blitz wince. “SORRY FOR THAT ONE!”

The thugs were sent flying, some trying to make a hasty retreat- to no avail- as they were unerringly beaten into the pavement by deadly accurate hits and rebounds. The ball quickly was torn to shreds, quickly becoming nothing more than an unrecognizable mass. Blitz’s last kick caused it to fall apart into multiple pieces, the fabric utterly destroyed.

The remaining thugs watched him cautiously, most with bruises or favoring limbs from the previous injuries he’d dished out. _Tough guys._ Blitz thought. A lot of them had experience fighting, the kind you couldn’t get in a gym or from an instructor. Of course, their powers didn’t hurt either.

But the last fifteen that had tried rushing him were now groaning on the ground or unconscious, limbs bent at awkward angles. If they’d been normal humans, their blood would have been painting the ground red. So their hesitation was understandable.

But Blitz had places to go and things to do. So he turned his back on the men, charging into the warehouse to take out the gunmen still lurking inside.

The thugs collectively breathed a sigh of relief, slumping over as the fight left them. One broke down into tears as another comforted him. At least this way they wouldn’t have to go to the hospital. Galvanate might have been a fair boss but he didn’t offer good medical.

Those comforting thoughts were broken as the screaming form of the mafia sniper was sent flying through a window, clocking a poor thug in the face. The sniper was quickly followed out the window by the five other gunmen in quick succession, the last with his ankle held in a death grip by Blitz who effortlessly leapt down to the crowd on the ground.

The hero stood slowly, holding the thug over his shoulder like a baseball bat. The thug was still conscious, as evident by his inelegant blubbering. “Pleasepleaseplease I’ll do anything just put me down-” He was promptly cut off by Blitz hoisting the man over his head menacingly.

“You know boys, I’ve been thinking about my battle strategies lately.” he said congenially as he strode forward. The thugs scrambled backwards, even more unnerved by his calmness than his goofy battle cries.

“And I’ve come to the conclusion that not every problem can be solved by punching a guy in the face.” Blitz said with a one-armed shrug. The mafia stared back at him in shock. “I know, I know, I was surprised too. But I’ve had time to think it over and I think that sometimes the only way to fix things, is actually to beat an asshole with another asshole.”

Blitz readied the thug’s body, taking a couple of practice swings despite the man’s desperate protests. The others took a step backward in fear. One of them raised a hand, confused. “Er… I dun git it?”

Blitz roared as he dashed forwards, the invincible body of the thug making for an incredibly durable bludgeon as he sent the others flying like bowling pins. “Now I git it-OOF!”

The kid sat on his doorstep, hands trembling. That had been the most amazing thing he’d ever seen in his life. He’d heard stories about Blitz- the hero who brawled his way through hardened gangsters like they were tissue paper. But to see him in person? To see him lay the beatdown on over a dozen thugs? To see him use a person as a weapon to hammer the rest through walls, fences, and into the ground?

He was in awe. Complete, unbridled awe at how the man fought. Blitz wasn’t a berserker who overwhelmed his foes with sheer power. He flowed like a river, like a snake, around them and behind them and always one step ahead, striking too fast for the eye to see. And the kid had gotten most of it on tape.

The twisted remains of his basketball landed at his feet, a barely recognizable heap of rubber. Blitz was standing there. Right in front of him. Face to face.

The hero rubbed the back of his helmet awkwardly. “Sorry about your ball, kid. I’ll get another one once I’ve got the time-” “IT’S PERFECT!” The kid screamed, grabbing the tattered remains off the ground. “Wait until the older kids see this!” He ran inside, cackling madly.

Blitz smiled. It wasn’t the same smile he’d worn going into battle, or the smug smirk he wore to boast. It was smaller. Subdued. More genuine, or so he thought. _That kid coulda been me fifteen years ago_ , he thought as he walked away. _I wish I’d had a real hero back then._


	2. Major

Mankind had produced some terrifying things in the last two hundred years. The industrial revolution had given control over the lives of hundreds of people to a single person. Firearms had let someone kill another almost instantly, with myriad improvements and refinements.

Bombs that could destroy cities, incredibly dangerous diseases, media empires that reached millions of people- all of these things held incredible power over the human race.

But the most dangerous thing of all hadn’t changed. Information led to victory. It was as simple as that. Granted, sometimes you were in no position to act- either through a lack of equipment or manpower. But without accurate, up to date information, even the finest weapons and soldiers were useless.

The man known as the Major pinned another newspaper clipping to the corkboard in front of him, tying a string around a push pin. Galvante Delivers Ultimatum to Vigilante Group was connected to a web of yellow thread. Map locations, pictures of suspected henchmen, various reports on criminal activity. And at the center of the web like a fat, overfed spider was the only picture they had of the mob boss.

Sadly, it was of poor quality- taken by some helpless schmuck's Polaroid ten years ago. That was before Galvanate had gone from a random mob enforcer to one of the most dangerous men on the east coast. Before capes had begun appearing, some time in the mid-eighties.

The Major took a long draw of bone cold coffee. Still better than the shit he’d had in the army- at least this had real cream and had once been hot. Information was key to accomplishing anything, especially in this city of dead-end alleyways and crooks

He took a step back to examine his work from a distance- the mass of papers and string covering the entire wall of his apartment on dozens of corkboards. Blitz had been shocked when he’d seen it for the first time, and even the Major had to admit it did look extremely strange at first glance. It strongly resembled the product of an overactive conspiracy theorist with too much time and energy on his hands.

But all the information the Wall held was true, at least to his knowledge. It had been verified through long stakeouts, quiet deals with other hero groups and the police, and strangely accurate reports mysteriously left on his desk- using verification codes that he couldn’t remember telling anyone else. That had been quite a fun week, searching for possible holes in his security in a quiet panic. He had found none. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the mysterious reports.

Over time his strange informant, who went by the name Wraith, had become his best source of new information. Whoever this person was, they seemed to have familiarity with his Web, considering the topics they reported on and how frequently they referenced it.

He’d changed the passcodes every day since then, sometimes several times a day. He didn’t write them down, keeping them only in his head. And still, every single time a new report arrived it had the most recent passcode written on it next to an obnoxious little smiley face.

Wraith was most likely a cape. Hanlon’s Razor and a simple application of logic had the Major almost certain. He had several theories for how Wraith was able to pull off their feats- but no substantial evidence. It was possible that they were some type of psychic mind-reader, taking information directly out of people’s brains. While it was a bizarre explanation that seemed impossible, his own power already flew in the face of gravity and conservation of momentum. For someone who did the impossible every day, what was one more level of insanity?

The Major was reluctant to consider Wraith a member of his little team. Sure, the information they provided was incredibly accurate- at least as far as he could tell. Sure, they knew those codes somehow. But he had difficulty trusting someone he’d never spoken to face to face.

Other independent heroes were usually reluctant to talk to anybody at all, paranoid that they’d be poached for a larger group or walk into a trap set by villains. When he did manage to arrange a talk, it usually involved far more nervous stares and power plays than actual conversation. The police weren’t much better, simultaneously non-trusting of powered vigilantes and jealous of their success. It was like pulling teeth to learn anything from them.

The Major sighed, tugging at one of the strings and watching the rest of the board shift in response. It was all about connections. A giant web where you could go from any one point or person to another. It was constantly being updated as the stories he followed and crimes he investigated changed.

Even the huge amount of information on the Wall at the moment was only the tip of the iceberg. Ten filing cabinets sat along the adjacent wall, filled with archived information sorted alphabetically by the week of origin. Dealing with information in regards to the Wall was a full-time job on its own. The Major counted himself lucky that he was retired.

He turned back to his stove, checking the timer on his pizza rolls. It had been years since he’d had the time or the energy to cook a proper meal. Thank God for Totino’s and their cheesy goodness. Another two minutes to go, but it would take time for things to cool down-

**crash**

He whirled around, hand by his holster as he made sure the apartment was still empty. The sound of breaking glass was unmistakable, and so was the sound of laughter and wild shooting.

The Major grimaced as he pushed the window to his ninth story apartment open, staring down at the scene on the sidewalk below. Three teenage punks, rocks in hand, were smashing the windows of his apartment building.

_This used to be a nice neighborhood…_ he thought to himself bitterly. And even though there were many complicated factors that had led this area to this point, all he could think of for the moment was how these punks were on his lawn. (if you could call the two-foot strip of withered grass between the sidewalk and the building a lawn.)

He stuck his head farther out the window, prepared himself, and shouted. “Hey!” He got the attention of two of the three punks, the other was wearing an oversized pair of headphones and probably wouldn’t have noticed a tank driving by. “I know it’s a nice night out, but can I trouble you to move along!” he continued, hoping to catch them off guard with politeness.

It was hard to make out small features from this height, especially with his eyes beginning to go bad. But the Major could see the punk smile maliciously even from this height. “Can I trouble you to blow it out your ass, Grandpa!” he shouted, raising his middle finger in salute.

Another threw his rock at the window, missing by ten feet and bouncing off the bricks. He gave a tight-lipped smile and pulled his head back inside. At least no one can say I didn’t give them a chance first. He thought to himself, turning to his kitchen table.

Normally, he ate on the couch in front of the TV, leaving the table free to store important items for rapid deployment. Another stash was located closer to the door in case that happened to be closer, but here he had some time before the punks perfected their lousy aim and managed to break his window. He reached for two items- a spare magazine of .45 ACP and a simple red bandanna.

The Major drew his 1911 out of its unbuttoned holster. He racked the slide twice to check that the chamber was empty. He flicked off the safety. And he lifted the new magazine up into the light.

His thumb touched against the top bullet with a metallic sounding click. Something deeper than mere sound reverberated throughout the apartment, leaving him briefly feeling lightheaded.  
The sensation only lasted for a tenth of a second, and a less perceptive person might not have even noticed it. But it was enough.

He grinned as he loaded the pistol with the treated mag and pulled back the slide. Tying the bandana around his face was easy now after dozens of times practicing. While he didn’t have much of a civilian identity to keep safe, and he owned multiple safe houses, there was no need to take unnecessary risks or stand out from the crowd.

A cape that didn’t care about keeping his secret identity would stand out, would receive special examination and attention. A man who received special attention would get his team killed.

Briefly, the Major considered the possibility that one of the punks might rat to someone who was an actual threat and blow his cover. While he wasn’t worried about them identifying him from this height, they might figure out his apartment number. And moving the Wall would prove to be a tremendous pain in the ass, both for him and for Blitz. There was probably a better way of dealing with this situation- one that didn’t involve the confrontation of violence with more violence.

But it was a late night, he was tired and hungry, and just wanted to get this whole thing over with. So the Major opened his window again. One of the thugs glanced upwards, some other unoriginal insult on his lips. It died when he saw the gleam of the gunmetal in the moonlight. To his credit, the thug began to call out a warning to the rest of his buddies. But it was already too late for him.

The gun’s report left a loud echo down the narrow street as the thugs began running, rocks and vandalism forgotten in the face of death from above. The bullet bounced off the sidewalk next to Thug #1’s feet, as he began to run for his life. He made it three steps before his feet left the ground. #2 and #3 found themselves in a similar predicament, floating in midair and flailing around desperately. With the betrayal of gravity and the lack of anything to push off of, they were essentially immobilized.

The Major smirked behind his bandanna. Even after all these years, seeing that kind of confusion and desperation on the face of your enemy never got old. He holstered his gun, making sure it was buttoned securely. He pushed the window the rest of the way open, gripping onto the sill with both hands. He tucked. He rolled. And he fell.

#3 screamed, his finger pointing upwards as he saw the Major flip end over end in midair, slowly beginning to slow as he came closer to the ground in blatant defiance of physics. With a careful, well-practiced movement, the aging hero tucked and rolled, rubbing a crack out of his neck as he rose back to his feet.

“Well now.” he said, drawing his gun. “What part of ‘move along’ don’t you understand?”

#1 was closest and redoubled his efforts, flailing around and screaming like he was face to face with the grim reaper. #2 and #3 averted their eyes, curled up into the fetal position, seemingly thinking that if they didn’t look then they wouldn’t be hurt.

The cape sighed, pointing his gun between #1’s eyes. “You’re a young man- got your whole life ahead of you. It’d be a real shame…”

#1’s thrashing stilled, tears pouring down his face as he stared up at the man who would end his life. “Please! Why-I’m sorry! We didn’t- We didn’t touch your stuff! We didn’t hurt you!” he whimpered, trying to buy more time before the imminent end of his life.

The Major’s eyes hardened. “Wrong. I want you punks- to get the hell off my lawn!” He lowered the gun, glaring at his adversaries if daring them to make a move.

Silence reigned as #1 stared dumbly, his brain trying to catch up to the fact that his life was apparently not yet over. #2 looked down at the scraggly grass, and back up at how he was floating several inches off of it. He raised a finger, seemingly about to say that they technically weren’t on the lawn anymore- but thought better of mouthing off to the cape with a loaded gun and kept his mouth shut.

The anti-gravity field shut off, sending the three punks sprawling onto the dirt painfully. They groaned as they rose to their feet, limping away as fast as possible. “Go on! Git! Don’t even think about coming back!” The Major shouted after them until he was satisfied that they were out of sight.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and holstered his gun. _I’m getting too old for this shit… At least I didn’t pull a muscle on the way down._

The nine flights of stairs up to his room may have been good exercise, but in his sleep-deprived state, they were nothing short of an annoyance. Back in his apartment, he discovered the overcooked pizza rolls to his dismay.

All alone in the somewhat dingy and crowded department, a former war hero ate quietly. _Hometown or not- sometimes I really hate this city._


	3. Wraith

Everything happens for a reason. Every seemingly random pattern of weather, every freak accident, and every human decision has a twisted logic behind it, random numbers and interconnected possibilities bringing order out of chaos. If the Simurgh were here- and in the mood to explain how her job works, she could elaborate on the topic for weeks.

But all we need to know about causality is quite simple. Two college students driving home, late at night together. Both are exhausted from the lab that just finished, the young woman has her seat leaned back and eyes closed to rest for a few minutes. The young man struggles to keep his eyes open as he tries to remember where her apartment was again. A perfectly ordinary scene, the growth of a budding relationship.

The Bay was a nicer place in general before the collapse of the shipping industry, but there were still the bad parts of town to consider. The lower price of rent meant that the man and woman were no strangers to caution and gang activity. Which meant that when the sound of a gunshot rang out in the distance ahead, both of them snapped to alertness instantly.

“Christ!” the man swore, slamming on the brakes and sending the woman flying up into a sitting position against her seat belt. He shifted into reverse, pulling the car around with a squeal of tires and the burning of rubber.

The woman brushed long, wavy hair out of her face, eyes wide with fear. He grimaced as he sped off in the opposite direction, breaking the speed limit as he pushed his aging car as hard as he dared.

“Take the alley!” she said, frantically lifting her seat upright again. “We can go down Harvest until Fourth.”

He nodded, accelerating down the narrow alleyway and off into the night. It wasn’t until another minute passed and they were half a mile down Harvest before the two let themselves relax.

“Christ.” the man said, his shock and fear fading to anger. “What the goddamn hell was that? I mean, seriously? A gunfight on Fifth Street! It’s getting worse every week, I swear…”

The woman didn’t say anything, but she thought to herself that a single gunshot sounded more like an execution than a gunfight to her. “Turn right here, this one.” she said, gesturing towards the dark alleyway connecting the two streets. The man sighed, turning the car smoothly.

“I don’t understand how you’re so calm.” he said, glancing over at her as he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead. “My heart’s still pounding- We could have died.”

“Me? Calm?” The woman said with a laugh. “I think I’m still in shock. Give me a few minutes and I’ll-”

The car slammed to a halt for the second time that night, sending the woman lurching forward again. She glared over at the man, ready to berate him for his piss-poor driving when she realized why he’d stopped so suddenly. An overturned dumpster was lying in the middle of the alleyway, without enough room to squeeze by or turn around. It was a dead end.

The headlights illuminated the dumpster clearly, showing the short man in a patched green coat who jumped out from behind it. For a second, there was a staring match between the students in the car and the shady looking character outside it. The tension was broken when the man drew a handgun, leveling it at the car’s windshield.

“Shit!” the man yelled, slamming the car into reverse and charging back through the alleyway. The woman screamed, clutching onto the roof handle as they plowed through garbage cans and cardboard boxes. Considering his panicked state and how he was driving in reverse, the man did remarkably well in making his escape. Until the unmistakable gleam of headlights in the rearview mirror forced the car to a halt a second time.

“Why are we stopping WHY ARE WE STOPPING!” The woman screamed, turning to the man as the gun-holding thug trotted up out of the shadows.

“They’re behind us!” the man shouted, gesturing to the pickup truck blocking off the alleyway entrance, engine idling and driver grinning widely. The gunman caught up to the car, winded and wheezing after running to catch up. He dove to the side of the alleyway before the man could think to run him down, leveling his gun at the driver’s side window.

The man made sure the door was locked and put his hands up, trembling with fear and rage at the men who had the audacity to do this. The woman buried her head in her arms, speaking the Lord’s Prayer quietly.

The thug grinned, showing several gold teeth and several more rotten ones. “Alright, this is a stickup. We’re not animals here- we just want your money and anything shiny you’ve got on ‘ya. Come on, hand it over.”

The man glared at him through the window, eyes filled with hatred.

Behind the car, the driver of the truck opened the door and stepped out, leaving the engine running. “Hurry up, man!” he said, sounding almost pleading. “We don’t have time for this shit! Any longer and the cops-”

“The cops won’t do shit!” the gunman shouted back at his hesitant partner. “We’ll be gone long before they get here.” He turned back to the car window. “Now, just roll down the window and hand all of it over.”

“Fuck you.” the man said. The points he lost for unoriginality were made up for by his vehemence.

The gunman’s smirk curled into a sneer as he cocked the gun dramatically. “Do you think this is a fucking game, mate? Hand it over or I’ll put one in your arm for persuasion.”

Time seemed to slow as the would-be robber aimed down the sights at the man. His eyes slowly began to widen, fear overwhelming his anger. The robber’s finger squeezed the trigger- and his gun was rammed forcefully into his own face.

The man in the car watched in shock as the thug was lifted off the ground by his neck, flailing uselessly as he choked for air. The gun fell from his hand as he kicked and squirmed, the fight going out of him along with his air.

It was like the shadows themselves were strangling him- but there was nothing there. Nothing behind the man, nothing choking the life out of him, nothing that had just saved two lives. Nothing.

“I-is that a cape…” the woman whispered. The man didn’t take his eyes off the scene, watching transfixed as the thug crumpled to the ground unconscious, bare arm and neck visibly bruised by someone- or something’s handprints. _Something invisible?_ The man wondered, opening the car door and kicking the gun away down the alley. His body moved like it was on autopilot as his mind raced, gibbering in panic.

The other robber had made a break for it as soon as he saw his friend being choked by some invisible force, scrambling into the truck and locking the door. “Shit shit shit shit!” He’d been an idiot to agree to this idea. There was always the possibility of cops showing up- but someone who was, apparently, the fucking Boogeyman? Hell no. He was out of here.

He fumbled for the keys before realizing that he’d left the truck on, breathing a sigh of relief. _Thank god. No horror movie cliches this time…_

He shifted into gear and began backing up, looking at the car driver using a belt to bind his friend’s arms behind his back. _So long, Hank. We had a good run._ He thought, shooting his ex-friend a middle finger. _Better you than me._

“Nice night, isn’t it?” the voice came from directly beside him. It wasn’t particularly deep, or menacing, or echoing menacingly. It was just an ordinary voice- coming from the nothing sitting casually in the passenger seat next to him. The driver screamed just before the cape’s fist collided into his face.

The woman’s back stiffened as she saw the truck squeal to a halt, the sounds of screaming coming from the cab as the truck rocked on its suspension. “Danny!” she shouted, pointing at the bizarre sight.

He looked up just in time to see the door slide open, and the other thug fall face first onto the pavement with a thud and a quiet groan of pain. And then a figure wearing a black cloak stepped down from the cab, placing a booted foot firmly on the robber’s chest.

_A cape._ Danny thought furiously. _It has to be a cape._ He didn’t know a lot about what the supers were capable of, but he knew enough to realize that an invisibility power would explain what they’d just seen. He stepped forward, ready to thank the person for saving their lives. The cape turned towards him and his voice caught in his throat.

The black, hooded cloak that they wore was menacing enough. But inside the hood was nothing but darkness and shadows where a face should be. Danny felt his blood freeze and his words catch in his throat at the sight, the injuries the thugs had received clear in his mind.

Some part of his brain logically reasoned that if the cape had wanted to hurt them than they could already have done so. But the rest of his body was stiff and overwhelmed with fear.

The cape took a step forward, flipping the thug’s arms behind him and tying them off with a strip of plastic. They straightened, looked over to Danny, and spoke. “Do you mind driving these two down to the station? I’m afraid that I don’t have a driver’s license…”

Danny was still frozen, surprised that such a normal, unassuming male voice would belong to an individual who seemed to radiate menace so casually. And then- this cape wasn’t even old enough to own a driver’s license? If he wasn’t already frozen from shock he might have face faulted.

Annette, bless her quick thinking, had a response when words had failed him. “O-our car just broke down… I don’t think-”

“I know.” The cape interrupted, tossing a set of keys at Danny which he caught by reflex. “Those are to the truck. The police will be mad about the loss of evidence, but the story and the criminals ought to make up for it. They should be happy to drop you off wherever you’re going.”

The cape turned as if to leave, but lifted a finger and faced him again with that empty hood of his. “One more thing. You might want to cover their mouths- Once they wake up they won’t be happy. There’s some duct tape in the backseat.”

This time, the cape did begin to leave, walking calmly down the alleyway towards Fifth St.

Danny felt the paralysis fade and he reached out after the departing figure. “Wait!” he yelled. The cape paused without turning around. “Thank you.” Danny breathed. “Thank you for saving our lives.”

“Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It’s no big deal.” the cape said. Danny closed his eyes. Stopping the robbery, beating the hell out of the crooks, doing so with such calmness and assurance that everything would be fine. And the hooded man had the audacity to say that it was no big deal.

“What’s your name?” he asked. “Like, your cape name? I haven’t heard of you before!”

The cape shrugged. “What’s the point in telling you? You’re just going to forget anyway.” With that, they continued their walk down the alley.

Danny’s eyes widened. “Wait-” he shouted, but the words were stolen from his mouth as the cape disappeared. And moments later, so did his memory.

Danny and Annette were left alone in the alleyway with his broken car and a working truck, two unconscious thugs, numerous questions and fuzzy memories about what had just happened. The police report indicated probable cape activity, but without any way of being certain, there was no investigation. There were other, more pressing crimes to occupy them.

The truck was impounded, but the reward for capturing the two men under the new compensation act proved to be enough for Danny to buy a new, slightly less ancient car. It was still a hunk of junk, but at least it was his hunk of junk. He and Annette moved on with their lives, grateful that they were unhurt.

And the shard that had been assigned to bond with the candidate felt something akin to disappointment.


	4. Niko

When Niko was younger, her favorite bedtime story was about the star walker- how he moved from planet to planet in a single step. Her mother had used the flashlight to make shadow pictures on the wall, showing the walker’s long legs and the other creatures from the story. Back then, she’d wanted to travel the universe like the star walker had.

It was funny, she reflected, how long ago all that seemed now. It had only been a couple of years, but it felt like a whole other lifetime had passed since she turned ten.

Back then, she’d started reading her bedtime story alone. She’d declared to her mother that she was old enough to take care of things by herself. It was funny, she thought, how much she’d wanted to be a big kid and help out with the chores- until she realized how much work her mother did every single day keeping the house clean. It was funny how she’d wanted to cook all her own meals- until she’d made a huge mess of the kitchen.

And it was funny how she’d been so excited about visiting other worlds. Because after having seen a good amount of them, the charm and luster had worn off.

It wasn’t that things weren’t exciting- They were! She’d met incredible people, gotten herself into and out of more bizarre shenanigans than she could count, and managed to keep moving forward, no matter what else happened.

It was just that those moments of adventure were few and far between- because everything else was super boring! To start with, a whole bunch of places she Jumped to didn’t have any civilization nearby, or any at all.

Thankfully, there was a safety limit that prevented her from Jumping onto a planet without air, or into the middle of a star. That didn’t mean she always landed somewhere convenient, but at least she could rely on being relatively safe.

Without her backpack (thank you George) and those survival supplies she’d traded for in Adytum, she might have starved to death before being able to jump again. Or caught a nasty stomach bug from unpurified water. Or wild animals might have gotten to her-

But there was no use thinking about what ifs. No time to waste looking backward. If she let herself get lost thinking like that, she’d never be able to get up again.

Most times when she Jumped, she would land in the middle of a city or town, always on some different planet or in some different universe. There was some sort of search pattern involved, gradually narrowing things down through some complicated process that went right over her head.

When she Jumped in, occasionally she’d had to explain herself to shocked passers-by what had just happened. After the first few times she’d been taken in for questioning by the local police or government, she’d abandoned the literal approach of saying “I’m from another world and I’m trying to get home.” Nearly all of these places she ended up didn’t know about dimensional travel. A good amount didn’t even know about space travel. So she usually just made a break for it, found a way to blend into the crowd, and tried to find the best source of information around.

Jumping took a few days to recharge each time, varying slightly based on distance and a bunch of other complicated factors. So she’d done her best to keep her supplies stocked at friendly places in case the next place she landed was less so- and her biggest problem involved money, believe it or not.

Places where trading was allowed and places that took raw gold were easy, she could deal with that- but places that only accepted their own currency were hair-pullingly frustrating. At first, she’d tried to keep a collection of various types of money, but she’d been forced to abandon most of it when it became apparent that nearly every world and culture had different currency.

For everything else, she just tried to keep her eyes and ears open. Her friend had explained to her that Jumping wasn’t an exact science- it involved causality and physics in ways that even he couldn’t explain. All she knew was that there was usually something important going on near where she landed, and even if she tried to avoid it, nine times out of ten she’d find herself in the thick of things regardless.

One of the less pleasant examples involved Jumping right into a violent fight between bank robbers and the police. She’d made a break for it, just barely taking advantage of Jumping’s lightshow distraction to avoid getting captured- before stumbling face first into the rest of the police surrounding the bank.

They’d had lots of questions about who she was and where she’d come from- and questions about her cat-like ears and eyes as well. Apparently, that world didn’t have people with animal traits on it, and they’d been more confused by that than anything else.

That was another interesting thing about the worlds- most of them were only populated by people without animal traits. Some had a mixed, diverse population- and the one where there was some kind of race war had been especially terrible. If she hadn’t been found by that team of heroines in training… it was probably best not to think about it.

That was what kept her going, Niko reasoned. The people she’d met along the way as she traveled across the universe to get back home. From the very beginning, they had given her direction and purpose. They’d been there for her- and even though she couldn’t remember all of them, she knew that many of them had considered her a friend.

Occasionally she’d stay for a little while longer than necessary, especially if there was something special happening like a festival or a play going on. She loved plays. But in the end, she had a home to get back to. The longest she’d ever stayed on one world was for a little over two weeks.

It had been almost eight months by her friend’s reckoning. Eight months since she’d been torn from her bed and woke up on in a dilapidated old house. Eight months since she’d been given a giant lightbulb and tasked with saving a dying world at the age of twelve. Eight months since she’d first met her friend- her partner.

**I don’t think I recognize this place.** He said quietly as she walked through the mist, hands in her pockets and hat brim pulled down. **Sorry I wasn’t more helpful.** Despite the way his voice echoed, she knew him too well to not notice the contrite apology in his words.

_It’s not your fault._ She responded mentally with the intent of reassuring him. _We’re getting closer now, just like you said._

**Right.** John sighed, presumably going over his notes. He’d explained to her once that he had spent long hours studying possible landing spots and strategies.

Without his help, she would have never gotten out of that Tower- and she was certain he’d saved her life many times since. **Not too many more jumps now. Maybe six or seven- I’m not exactly sure.**

_Only six or seven?_ She breathed, thoughts of home returning to her. Of wheat fields and wooden buildings and hazelnut pancakes. Of her mother, greeting her as she returned home. _We’re that close already?_

**‘Already’, she says. As if we haven’t been doing this for months already.**

_It hasn’t been that bad- I’ve seen so many incredible things!_ Niko gushed, remembering the photo album she’d made and the written notes she’d tried to take about each place she’d visited. Once she got home again, and once they’d managed to go through the information and figure out how to control the Jumps better, she had plans to visit them again.

_Sure, it wasn’t easy-_

**Understatement of the month.** He sighed.

_But it hasn’t been that bad!_

**You aren’t even thirteen, Niko. I don’t know how you’re fine with this.**

She could hear the resignation in his voice- this wasn’t a new argument for them. It was almost sweet how overprotective he was, as if she was made of glass and about to break apart at the slightest sign of fear or danger. It was almost sweet, because it honestly got annoying after a while.

_Come on, big guy! I’m not worried because I’ve got you looking out for me!_ She grinned, pointing with a finger gun gesture upwards. That was the direction he usually watched from- a bird’s eye view.

**You know it’s not like that anymore.** He sighed. **The rules have changed- I can’t interfere so directly on these worlds. Sure, I’ve got plenty of good intel and you’re quick on your feet. But that won’t save you from something you can’t dodge or talk your way out of.**

Niko sighed, brushing her hand against the condensation on the store window and watched as it rubbed away beneath her fingertips. He was right- again. But he didn’t have to be so insufferable about it!

**Whatever. Forget I said anything. We’re almost done with this little road trip.** He said, the sounds of him typing away in the background clearly audible. She breathed out slowly, glancing up to the sky even though there was no way to see him from here.

_And what happens when we’re done?_

**You go back to your family.** John stated the obvious without any sign of hesitation. **You tell them your crazy story, show off your fancy stuff as proof. Then, we’ll see if you can make yourself go back to a boring life in a quiet village after everything you’ve seen out there.**

Niko wiped more condensation off of the window, using it as a makeshift mirror as she stared at her almost luminescent yellow eyes. She’d grown almost an inch since she’d left, and she’d needed John to replace her robe twice from battle damage and general wear and tear.

Her hat had gone from being oversized to merely large- and she stood straighter. Held herself differently. It was at times like these that she stared into the mirror and wondered if she would have recognized her old self staring back.

She shook herself out of her reverie. _That’s not what I’m asking about, John. I’m talking about you. What are you going to do after I get home?_

**Well, my contract will be completed.** He said, mentally projecting the idea of a shrug. **That ought to be the end of things. I’ll look into getting you those coordinates you’re interested in but-**

_Why do you need to leave?_ She asked, turning from the window and walking into the mist. _Why can’t we still be friends?_

**It’s complicated. I’ve got a lot of other stuff that needs my attention.** John said, evading the question. He had a habit of doing that about certain things, only explaining them to her in general terms. When she’d pushed for him to explain in the past, he’d told her that knowing would just make her unhappy.

_Other worlds to look out for? Other people to guide?_ She tried to keep the jealousy out of her voice. She wasn’t the first partner he’d had, and definitely wouldn’t be the last. Still- he’d said that they had something special, that she was the first one that he’d talked with directly. Was that special friendship they had really about to end so soon?

There was silence for a few seconds, except for the sound of John typing. **That’s just part of it. I’ve got a lot else on my plate.**

_Are you sure I can’t help you?_ Niko asked. _I know it’s complicated, but are you sure there’s nothing I can do?_

John paused, his hesitation and silence speaking louder than any words could.

_I’m sorry._ She whispered. _I just… don’t want to think about saying goodbye so soon._

**Goodbye? Who said anything about saying goodbye?** John returned, sounding almost affronted at the thought. **Didn’t I tell you that there aren’t any goodbyes while I’m around?**

_I know, I know. Just see-you-laters._ Niko said, repeating the old response with warmth.

**It’s not like I won’t visit. And while I must admit the thought of meeting your parents fills me with dread, I will be there.** John said, mirth returning to his voice. **Maybe I can hook you up with some of my new partners- you can be pen pals, or whatever they’re calling it these days.**

_That sounds great! We can exchange pictures, and talk about our most daring escapes and-_ Sadly, Niko’s excited anticipations were cut short by the sound of John’s alarm going off- which sounded oddly like an oven timer.

**Well well, looks like we’re ready to Jump again.** John said, typing something else in on his keyboard. **Ready on my end anyway.** There was a pause. **You alright? Good to go?**

Niko took a deep breath in and then out. Even after so many times, Jumping still made the pit of her stomach lurch with nervousness. _Yeah. All good here- got plenty of food and water and all the valuables secured._

**Roger that. I guess that means... we** are go **for liftoff.** John said. Power filled the air around Niko, a kind of pressure that almost felt like being underwater. The wind swirled through the mist, blowing bits of paper down the street. Thunder crashed somewhere overhead, as sparks of electricity appeared from the pavement-

_Can you cut it out with the drama!_ Niko shouted. _It’s just a Jump, no big deal! We do it every day!_

John sniffed in mock injury. **Meanie. Some of us happen to like the dramatic touch of a little thunderstorm.**

_Yeah, yeah, it was cool the first fifty times or so._ Niko groused. _Stop fooling around over there and get on with it._ This time, it was almost subdued how the pavement beneath her feet faded from black to a grey, motes of white light rising up from it as the power spilled out.

_Much better._ She said with extreme self-satisfaction, raising a finger to the sky as her scarf flapped in the wind. _Go ahead! Beam me up, Scotty!_

**You do realize that’s not the actual line from the show, right?** John said wryly as the light faded in around her, blocking her view of the street. And then everything was gone in the blink of an eye.

-

The alleyway, besides its unusual length, looked clear of any possible disturbances or witnesses. Just to be sure, John double checked and everything seemed fine. **Bada-bing, bada-boom!** He said, ending the jump at precisely the right time. He’d had a lot of practice doing so after all.

Niko overcame the sensation of free falling to land on her feet in a crouch, shoes crunching against gravel as electricity sparked around her- _Seriously? Again with the special effects, John? You_ trying _to get us spotted right off the bat?_

**Come on, that was barely anything!** He argued. **Besides, there’s no one around to notice-**

Niko felt her spine tingle as she spun around, coming face to face with the figure standing behind her. A black cloak and hood, an empty void where a face should be- she’d seen scarier. But what really made her jump backward in fear was how he’d just appeared out of nowhere.

Between her impressive hearing and John’s surveillance, there was no way he should have been that close without them noticing. She stared into that blank void under the hood, eyes narrowed and hands clenched. _John? I suppose it isn’t too much to ask if you know who he is?_

**No idea.** John replied, joking manner gone as he hammered away on his keyboard. **And no idea how he pulled that ninja trick off either. Working on escape route- be ready on my mark.**

Niko felt her muscles tense as she saw the man take a step forward, adrenaline quickening her reactions. She wasn’t a complete amateur but she didn’t think she would have a good chance in a fight against this guy who appeared out of nowhere and exuded menace.

Of course, the fact that he had a good foot and a half on her probably didn’t hurt. And his lack of a face was terrifying in a primal way to her. Even her excellent night vision couldn’t penetrate the darkness, meaning she had no idea what his emotions or reactions would be.

The hooded man looked at her ready stance, then down at the gravel- blackened and charred from her overly dramatic entrance. He looked back at her, seemingly into her cat-like eyes. He raised his finger slowly, almost as if he was… confused? “I have... several questions.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the end of the intro- with our five main characters and the crossover's premise introduced. In hindsight, I probably should have posted all four chapters at once.


	5. Greetings

The young man known only as Wraith walked calmly down the alleyway, hands in his pockets, his power active, and whistling a jaunty tune. He’d been following up on a lead for the Major and just happened by the robbery while on the way back to the safehouse. 

If he hadn’t been right there, right then, someone would have probably gotten shot. Maybe even killed. That was the problem with trying to stop crime. It all came down to response time. Sure, they could hit drug houses and fighting rings and casinos, but when it came down to helping normal people who were being attacked, there wasn’t all that much they could do.

The Major’s information web, and the methodical mind behind it did help. It was the product of years of dedicated work, and probably rivaled the Brockton PD’s files. Likely, it was superior with information only a cape like him could gather.   
And it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t anywhere near enough. 

Even all the information in the world wouldn’t have helped that couple if he wasn’t already standing right there next to them. Even the Major couldn’t predict crimes ahead of time. Maybe certain capes could, but whoever they were, they were rare and they weren’t talking. 

His police band radio was incredibly useful for getting a look at the bigger picture- but it wasn’t that useful for stopping crime unless he happened to already be basically on top of them. If the cops weren’t able to get there on time, with their drills and squad cars and patrols, then what could they do as three independent heroes?

Blitz and the Major did patrol in the Docks, varying their times and paths enough so that criminals wouldn’t be able to plan around a regular schedule. It was more of a deterrent than anything else, a show of force. From what they’d told him, they’d only ever stopped two crimes on patrol, compared to their scheduled raids.

The chance of happening to run into a crime at random was incredibly rare. It was a basic law of statistics, something Wraith understood clearly. That didn’t mean that he had to like it. 

He spent every day running all over the Bay, following high priority targets and spying on backroom deals. Every meal he ate was caught on the run, either cheap crap from a fast food place or heated up at the safehouse. Without a car and without a license, he’d been forced to use a bicycle and public transport. After all, it wasn’t easy to get licensed when your family couldn’t even remember your existence.

The small tape recorder and microphone that he’d bought had proved far more useful than his folding baton or his knife. It was incredible what people talked about when they were sure that they were alone. On numerous occasions he’d had to carefully ration his tapes because there was just so much shit to record.

It was hard, just to sit there and watch the criminals talk and joke and play cards, unknowing that they were being watched from only a few feet away. He wanted nothing more than to stomp the smug shitstains into the ground, to find where they lived and deal with them when their guard was down. 

But he hadn’t gone off on his own. He might be an angry teenager, but he hadn’t gotten this far by being an idiot. Anyone who pulled something like that- who started hunting people down in their homes- would get nearly everyone else on his head to take him down. The heroes would attack one of their own if they went too far, and the same went for the villains. 

He’d heard the stories about some California villains that had killed a hero out of costume, leaving clear evidence that they’d done the deed. Alexandria had broken every bone in their bodies, leaving them in comas they still had yet to leave. Precedent had been set.The nails that stick up will get hammered down. 

And even though Wraith didn’t have a civilian identity any longer, his information was still on the public record. His power would likely help disguise him from identification, but it wasn’t foolproof. Someone would still be able to hunt down his family, even if they didn’t remember him. 

That was the reason why he wore his hood. Besides the obvious reason that it looked really cool and menacing. Some interaction between it and his power disguised his face in the shadows, making it impossible to see his face. He on the other hand, could see out of it just fine. Blitz and a gigantic flashlight hadn’t been able to overcome the darkness.

He sighed, itching his scalp. The hood looked cool and everything, but at times it could be a real pain in the ass. At least it’s cooler than it was last night, he thought to himself. And at least I’m not wearing leather. Sucks to be you, Blitz. 

Thankfully, he was only a few blocks from the safe house. That meant a warm shower, and the somewhat dirty but comfortable couch. Blitz had promised to bring something home for a late supper, which honestly could mean anything knowing him.

The older hero was a surprisingly good cook, considering his usual lack of restraint and displays of excessive violence, but he didn’t have time to do so very often. It made sense considering how he’d just gotten off a raid that it would be some kind of takeout. It was impossible to guess which restaurant it would be from, and Wraith suspected that Blitz used dice to decide for him.

None of them were picky eaters. He’d been one once- turned his nose up at mushrooms and tomatoes and unsalted potatoes. That was before he got powers and everything changed. Now he barely had time to taste his food- or was too exhausted to think about anything other than sleep.

So it was with exhaustion in his limbs that Wraith continued down the alleyway, still under the effects of his power. It wasn’t something that took effort or energy to keep going, just a simple mental switch between on or off. He’d tried to find some sort of in-between, an intermediate state where he’d be less invisible and less forgettable. It hadn’t worked at all. 

He was just about to pass by the dumpster when the crackling of electricity and a low humming sound that reminded him of a cartoon’s mad science sparked down the alleyway in front of him. He dove for cover behind the dumpster, mind racing. 

Cape. It’s gotta be. Is this a trap- no, I can’t assume that anyone saw me. One of those gadget thingies? He peeked cautiously around the dumpster, squinting at the bright, glowing circle on the ground as it sparked with blue lightning. What the hell is that thing? 

Just when he was about to make a break for a safer distance, the circle shrunk to a point- and burst with another crackling of electricity. He covered his head, peeking through his fingers. A figure rose from a crouch, standing slowly as the residue sparks from whatever the hell had just happened faded. 

Some kind of teleporter? Wraith wondered, rising to his feet slowly. They were facing away from him, wearing some type of horned, wide brimmed hat and a brown, full-length cloak. And they were short. About only four feet high, coming about halfway up his chest. For a second, he just stood there, unsure of what to do. 

They’re not moving… he thought, taking a step forward. Even with the certainty that his power provided, he still couldn’t help but feel nervous in situations like this. As much as he’d like to just ignore them, sneak by and go take a hot shower, the Major would have his head if he didn’t get some information about a new cape in town. 

Especially a new cape who could apparently teleport. With that kind of power, transport and crime response would be a snap to accomplish, especially if you could bring someone along with you. While Wraith was pretty comfortable with his power, teleportation was something he’d give his left nut to have. 

He took another step forward, deactivating his power as he did so. While he probably could have spent a while tailing them, it was late and he was tired. Granted, they might be crazy or pissed off, but then he could just pop his power and make a break for it. They’d forget about him, and he’d be able to warn the team not to mess with them. 

He was about to open his mouth and say something when the teleporter whirled around, leaping backwards five feet in the blink of an eye.

It was all he could do to keep from being startled himself- he was normally the one who jumpscared people. Deep breaths, don’t take your eyes off her. And it was a her, small face completely uncovered. 

The teleporter looked like an ordinary young girl, which explained her short stature. With the exception of her oversized, luminescent yellow cat-like eyes, which glared at him with suspicion. He looked back in confusion, thankful that his face was hidden by his cloak. Because what the hell was he even looking at?

The news had reported on a few so called ‘monstrous’ capes, who had been human and weren’t anymore. From what little information he’d been able to find out, that didn’t change who they were, just how they looked.

There was something else he remembered- monstrous capes always woke up with amnesia and a strange tattoo. Which fit with how she’d just shown up out of nowhere. Great. So I’m not just dealing with another unknown cape- I’m dealing with an unknown cape with amnesia and possibly other issues. Fantastic. 

He took a step forward, noting how she raised her hands into some sort of fighting stance. Her hands were open, indicating that she probably wasn’t a brawler. It wouldn’t fit her diminutive stature or comparatively little strength- although superpowers meant that he couldn’t assume that. For all he knew, she could bench-press a sedan. 

The ground where she’d teleported in was still blackened, lines where the electricity had scorched the gravel clearly visible. That’s a lot of energy use right there, even if it’s all from her power. Wraith looked back at the teleporter, noting her blue head of hair and several thick locks that reminded him of whiskers. It fit with the whole cat-person thing she had going on- just another impossibility on top of everything else. 

Wraith was at a complete loss for words. At least the teleporter wasn’t attacking him, or making a break for it. Her hands hadn’t flinched or wavered, and her eyes betrayed nothing other than cautious nervousness. What the hell. Might as well go for the humor approach. Hopefully she speaks English.

He raised his index finger. “I have...several questions.” The teleporter kept her ready stance, but her expression changed from nervous to simply confused. 

The sound of people talking in the buildings lining the alleyway became clear to Wraith, as surrounding lights began to turn on. From the way that her hat twitched, he could guess that she noticed as well. 

“But they can wait.” he said, lowering his hand and taking a step forward. “First, I’m getting out of here before the cops show up.” 

She didn’t budge an inch, eyes narrowing. “Are you some kind of bad guy?” she asked.

Wraith sighed. It was too late to deal with this shit. “No, I’m just a concerned citizen helping out. If I was a villain I wouldn’t be sticking around to answer.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to fight a teleporter tonight. 

“So what do you want from me, then?” she asked, still staring him down questioningly.

“Just like I said- several questions answered.” Wraith responded with far more patience than he felt. “I’ll let you ask just as many back, and I’ll do my best to answer them. Now can we please go before the cops bust us both for disturbing the peace?” 

She sighed, before falling into step beside him as they briskly walked towards the safe house.   
He noted that despite her far shorter strides, she kept up with him easily. 

“It’d be a lot easier for me to trust you if you take off that hood of yours.” the teleporter said, staring into the depths of his hood with a frown. 

Wraith shook his head vehemently. “No way, nuh huh, not happening. It’d be a lot easier for me to trust you if you were wearing a mask- but I guess that wouldn’t work out too well. You’d have to hide your entire face… some sort of helmet?” 

The teleporter- or was she a victim of teleportation instead? Whatever. She stopped walking and fixed him with a glare, hands on her hips. 

“I’m not going anywhere with you unless you tell me your name. As much as I’d like some answers right now, if you’re going to keep being difficult I’ll just go find someone else who doesn’t look like the Grim Reaper’s edgy cousin.” 

Wraith rubbed his forehead with exasperation. He really needed to watch his mouth better- having his power had spoiled him as he’d taken advantage of everyone’s forgetfulness. Sure, might as well tell her my cape name. He thought. It’s not like she’s going to remember anyway. 

“Alright, alright. Fine.” he said, arms raised in a placating gesture that she didn’t seem to appreciate. “My name’s Wraith, and I’m an independent hero who fights crime around here.”

She didn’t seem particularly amused, but she did start walking again. He decided that he’d count that as a victory, following her out of the alleyway. 

“Wraith.” She said, saying the word slowly as if she was examining it for minute defects. “A perfect name for a faceless guy in a black hood.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you very much.” He shot back, desperately trying to think of what to say next. How long’s it been since I had a conversation with a girl? ...A girl that isn’t my mother? Oh God, I can’t even remember! Okay, okay, calm down and think. What question should you ask in return? She promised- sorta promised to do one for one.

“That’s a real nice cloak you’ve got here.” The girl said, suddenly holding part of the offending object’s hem between two fingers. “Ooh, is this ballistic weave?” 

“Please don’t touch that.” he said, pulling it out of her loose grip. 

“Do you wear it in the shower?” she asked, stopping him dead in his tracks. 

He looked down at her, incredulously. No way. 

She looked up at him, her expression completely guileless and slightly inquisitive. 

She’s for real? Seriously? He started walking down the street, making notably longer strides in a half assed attempt to run away from his problems. She caught up to him easily, although he took some small satisfaction in noticing she had to jog lightly to keep up. 

“Hey, I’m sorry about that!” she said, not even seeming winded. “I was just wondering because you wouldn’t be able to machine wash something like that without wrecking your machine! Unless you had a super heavy duty one-”

“I hand wash it.” Wraith said, slowing back down to a reasonable walking speed. There was no use trying to run away from this girl, and the Major would have his head if he just left a powerful, amnesiac, and visibly non-human cape out in the open. The team could discuss what to do in the morning. 

“With gentle detergent and a damp cloth- it takes a real long time to get the bloodstains out.” He continued, elaborating on something small that he couldn’t remember telling anyone else. Maybe he had- but they’d just forgotten. So did it really matter if he had talked about it at all?

She fell silent with his answer, the two of them trudging down the street/ Someone who made people forget about him and someone who had already forgotten themselves. It was almost enough to make him laugh.

“I’m sorry for being rude earlier.” the girl said, breaking the silence. “It’s just that you startled me, showing up out of nowhere like that…” 

What was he supposed to say to that?   
“I’m sorry for not handling this whole thing better.” He said, deciding that honesty would be the best choice. It wasn’t like he was an experienced liar, and if thing went south then she wouldn’t even remember the conversation at all. 

“I know this must hard for you, waking up in a strange place like that without any memories.” he said, injecting a little bit of stereotypical enthusiasm into his voice. It wasn’t usually his job, but it was surprisingly fun. “But I’ve got a team! They’re kinda strange, but we’ll get you set up with the-”

“Without memories?” She said, worried. “What are you talking about?”

Wraith paused, the rest of his heroic speech collapsing like a house of cards. What? “Every monstrous cape wakes up in the middle of some city, with a strange tattoo and w-without their memories…” 

His voice trailed off as he saw the look on her face- confusion and disappointment. “Monstrous…?” she said, barely above a whisper. 

Son of a bitch. “N-no!” he practically shouted, waving his hands frantically. “That’s- I wasn’t- Crap! I’m a godda- god awful idiot!” And now he was stumbling over his words like a moron. This was why he didn’t like talking with people.

He couldn’t bring himself to meet her eyes, staring down at his shoes intently. “The capes that society call monstrous aren’t, really- at least from what I’ve heard. They’re just ordinary people, who’ve gotten their bodies altered and their memories wiped. No one knows how, or why- but they still think just like we do. A lot of them become heroes. So I’m sorry for- that’s not what I meant.” 

She stared at him, clearly thinking intently for several seconds. Then she sighed, scratching at her ear underneath her hat. “While that is really interesting and I appreciate you telling me… I’m pretty sure that I’m not one of those ‘capes’, because I still have all my memories intact.” 

He looked up from his shoes to meet her eyes. “You’re serious.” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She said, sounding almost cheerful again. “I still remember my name if you want proof. I’m Ni-”

“Don’t tell me!” he hissed, interrupting her. Seeing her flinch backwards made him feel bad, but this had to get out of the way as quickly as possible. “Never let anyone know your real name, or they’ll use it against you if they get the chance.” 

That was rule number two of being a cape- as described by the Major. Rule number one was to never do anything without an escape plan. Something that Wraith was frequently guilty of breaking. 

The girl, Ni- something, gave a small smile that could best be described as incredibly cat-like. “Oh, secret identity stuff! Okay, makes sense.” She started walking again, poking him in the shoulder. “And here I was, wondering what kind of parents would name their kid Wraith. I mean, seriously?” 

He did his best to keep walking forward, one foot in front of the other. Why God, why? Why did it have to be her! I’d rather go back home than deal with this! 

As if God and the not-actually-monstrous cape were conspiring against him, she had another question for him. “Sorry for bringing this up, but what’s a ‘cape’? I would have asked earlier, but…” 

He was tempted to turn to her and ask which rock she had been living under for the last five years, but considering that she was apparently a teleporter, that might actually be true.

“You’re a long ways from home, aren’t you?” he said, kicking a dented soda can and watching as it rolled down the sidewalk. “Nearly everyone knows that people with superpowers started showing up a few years ago. The slang term for supers is capes. Not sure where it came from or how it caught on, but there you go.”

“And so you’re one of them.” she said, the question mark going unspoken. “One of the capes.” 

“Got it in one.” He smiled. “You really think I’d be fighting crime out here if I wasn’t?”

“Well, I don’t know. What would you be doing if you didn’t have superpowers?” she asked.

“Finishing high school, probably. Maybe, I’d still be on the swim team. Playing video games for sure. I mean, I still play but I’ve barely got any time at all. Just enough to sleep and eat.” he responded, lacing his fingers behind his head. 

“Do you know a place I could stay that wouldn’t ask questions?” she said. “Just for a few days, I mean.” 

“There aren’t any that I can think of that let someone who’s openly a cape stay.” he responded. “Let alone someone who’s not entirely hum-”

“I get it.” she sighed. 

Change the subject. “So I’m guessing that you’re just passing through the area? Something like that?” he asked, envying her teleportation even more now. When he was her age, the farthest he’d been from home was the far end of the Boardwalk.

“Something like that. It’s been a real long trip, but I’m pretty close to finishing up.” She said with a smile. “I won’t be staying here long. Just a few days.” 

“Yeah, the Bay’s not exactly the best tourist destination in my opinion.” he admitted. “The Boardwalk’s nice, if you don’t mind wasting your money on overpriced crap. The Ferry’s nice if you’re immune to seasickness, which I am not.” 

She giggled quietly at that one, which made his heart soar far more than it had any right to.

“And then there’s the cape fights.” He continued. “We’ve got matchups here you won’t find anywhere else. Of course you’re running the risk of becoming collateral damage by watching, but to some people, a good fight’s worth the risk.”

“So it’s heroes versus villains, huh? How organized is everyone?” she asked. “Do you get sponsorships?” 

“Ha. I wish.” he laughed bitterly. “Normies are too afraid of the big bad capes to even consider listening to our side of the story. And to answer your other question, we’re not very organized. I’m in a team with like two other guys, which really doesn’t even have a name. And even that makes us ahead of like ninety percent of the competition.”

Even without knowing the specifics, she was catching on to things remarkably fast. Wherever she’d come from, it was obvious she’d had experience with a cape scene before. Or something like it. Seems like they’re starting out younger every year.

“So are there any other things I should know about? Besides the whole ‘secret identities are secret thing.’” She said breezily. “Wouldn’t want to step on any toes while I’m here.” 

“Rule number One. Always have an escape route... Wait, sh- Crap. You’re a teleporter. You’ve always got an escape route.” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “Just- just stay with someone else all the time, don’t go into dark alleyways, don’t take candy from strange men in white vans, and look both ways before crossing the street. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

“Thanks? I guess?” she responded, looking at the aging apartment buildings that surrounded them. “But you still didn’t answer my question. I need a place to sleep. Just for a few days, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

A traitorous thought inserted itself into his brain. Dude, you should let her stay at the safehouse. This is a great idea that will work out perfectly. 

What? That’s a terrible idea! I mean she seems okay, besides being annoyingly perky, but how am I supposed to trust some random cape I just met! 

That’s funny, because I seem to remember the Major and Blitz doing just that when you showed up one day and asked if you could join their team. 

They sent me on a snipe hunt for intel, and they had to let me in when I somehow managed to come back with all of it!

Hey, I never said that any of you are particularly sane, reasonable people. If you don’t trust her so much, than keep an eye on her. If she tries anything, you can just deal with it.

I guess… but there aren’t enough beds there for three people!

Then I guess she’ll have to sleep on the couch, then. 

Dude! I sleep on the couch! This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard! 

She’s a teleporter, and she’s friendly. If you’re willing to work with her now, she’ll be willing to work with you in the future. Don’t you remember studying game theory!

This just sounds like a huge pain in the ass. I mean, I’m busy all day. I don’t have time to do babysitting. 

Then don’t. No one’s asking you, and she’s clearly been able to take care of herself in the past. If things get to be too much to handle, then just use your power and run away like you always do.

Screw you, me.

Love you too, myself. 

“-aith? Wraith, seriously?” the girl said, elbowing him in the side. “Come on man, snap out of it. I know you’re tired, but wow.”

“What?” he asked, shaking himself back to coherence. “Wait- Did I just say anything weird?” 

“If by ‘say anything weird’, you mean ‘stand still talking to yourself for a minute’, then yeah.” she said bluntly. 

“Oh God, why!” he said, burying his face in his hands and resisting the urge to drop dead on the spot. 

“You were mumbling so incoherently that even I couldn’t make out what you were saying.” 

“Oh, thank God.” he said in relief. “Okay, young teleporter girl, I’m prepared to offer you the safehouse couch to sleep on. It’s a bit old, but surprisingly comfortable. A hell of a lot better than anything else you’ll find on such short notice.” 

She raised her eyebrow at him. “And can I trust you or your team not to stab me in the back? Literally, or figuratively?”

He laughed, genuinely this time. “You’re a teleporter! You can just leave at the first sign of anything going wrong at all!”

“True.” she replied, folding her arms. “But I’m not going any further with you unless you solemnly swear not to backstab me. Or con me. Or swindle me. Or-”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.” he said irritably, giving the Vulcan salute with his left hand and placing his right over his heart. “I solemnly swear not to plot against you. Or move against you in the heat of the moment. So help me God.” 

“There we go. Was that so hard?” she smiled. “But seriously, thanks. It’s nice to meet someone who cares.” 

He felt his heart jump again. Shut up down there! You’re ruining my carefully crafted exterior of indifference! “‘S not a big deal.” he said, as nonchalantly as possible. “We capes have to stick together.” 

“Oh. Oh!” she said, facepalming in frustration. “I knew I was forgetting something earlier! I’m… not actually a cape? I mean, I’d probably have noticed if I had superpowers, at least.”

Wraith had to fight the distinct urge to bang his head against the nearby wall. Like I said earlier, it’s too late for this shit.


	6. Teamwork

The Major had grown up in Brockton Bay, and attended Winslow High back when it was brand new. It only made sense that he’d move back home after his honorable discharge. While his severance pay was still relatively small, he’d managed to make some successful investments that had paid off in a big way. 

The sale of some types of insurance had increased dramatically with the rise of capes, and so had the stock investments he’d made. It wasn’t that much money, but it was enough for him to rent two cheap apartments and set up shop in town. Just enough to get going as a hero.

Once he’d met the other two members of his team, things had really gotten going. Money taken from the mob’s crackhouses was nice, but often the serial numbers were tracked meaning it wasn’t much good for anything besides the black market. 

As a result, most of the group’s financing came from corporate espionage, thanks to the efforts of the mysterious, elusive, and incredible pain in the ass known as Wraith. Their team had gained a reputation for dealing in information, thanks to the Web of knowledge and their vaguely affiliated spook. 

Contracts would come in from different people- mostly rival companies who wanted formulas or business plans. Occasionally, there would be a private citizen or cape who was after some document or information in particular.

All of their clients paid handsomely. Enough that all three of them could have retired and bought beach mansions in the Bahamas. 

But nearly all of that money went back into the cape business. The Major was absolutely certain that their fight against crime was the top priority for every member of his team. Granted, each did it for slightly different reasons, but the end goal of cleaning up the city was the same.

The first thing he’d done with his share of the money was to buy three more apartments as safe houses, scattered around and kept relatively inconspicuous. If it weren’t for the difficulty of transporting the Web, he’d have moved between apartments every week at random to throw people off trying to track him down. 

The second was to procure armor for each of them. Kevlar didn’t come cheap, even more so considering that it all had to come from the black market. Even Blitz wore bulletproof panels under his leather armor, despite his complaints that it made the thing uncomfortable and he could just dodge the bullets. 

It always paid to be prepared. All it would take was one lucky shot, one stupid headcase in the wrong place with a gun, and any one of them would be down for the count. Maybe the Major was just being paranoid, but he always wore his ballistic vest. Even to bed. It might not do much to protect against an actual sneak attack, but he felt safer with it on. 

Just like he felt safer with his gun in his holster, his knife on his belt and in his boot, and his rifle on the table. Now that had been his most expensive purchase yet- the M25 sniper rifle. A beautiful piece that was still in very good condition, the perfect fit for his designated marksman training. 

It had cost him nearly a quarter of a million dollars, and it had been worth every penny. The dealer had never said where he’d gotten it from, and the Major didn’t care to ask. The DMR was the perfect weapon for long range use with his power. 

The first shot would put the tangos up in the air, helpless. The other nine were usually enough to put them down. He suspected that his power also helped him control his breathing, heartbeat and muscle tremors as well. Something about focusing on keeping his marked item activated was almost like a meditative experience. 

He did know that he had better accuracy at the range than before he’d gotten his powers. Even though his eyes were starting to go, his hands were steady and his mind was sharp. The adjustable scope didn’t hurt, either. 

There was a knock at the door. The Major checked the clock. It was already past nine- and the only non-cape business that knocked was the pizza guy. He sat up from his desk, drew his gun, and moved over to the side of the door and out of the line of fire.

“Come on, open up!” a young male voice sounded from the hallway, knocking again- this time more insistently. “There’s a hot shower with my name on it!” 

“Er… Are you sure it’s the right place?” A younger-sounding girl asked. 

“Oh, it’s the right place alright.” the man said confidently. “Major! I’ll have two large pizzas, with pineapple and pepperoni. Three Greek salads, two with ranch, one plain. And a large soda, no ice.”

The Major grimaced. That was today’s passcode, alright. The fact that it was also the order Blitz claimed to be picking up from the pizza place tonight was just a coincidence. It became difficult to think of a new code every day, and it was harder to remember them.

“Do you have a good reason why I should open this door, boy?” The Major grumbled. “It’s a little late for some stranger to drop by with a secret password.” 

“Oh for the love of God- It’s me, old man! Wraith! Your teammate that has the power that makes everyone forget about him!” Wraith said, exasperated. 

“Isn’t that exactly what someone posing as Wraith would say?” he asked, frustrated. He hadn’t gotten this far in life without being cautious, and even with the passcode he couldn’t be sure. 

“You told us the code this morning. What’s the point of having it if you’re not going to believe it?” Wraith returned, sounding bitter and tired. 

The Major reached out, unlocking the door’s several locks and cracking it open slightly, still with his gun at the ready. .45 might not stop some capes, but the gravity bullet in the chamber should slow them down enough for him to get away. 

The person claiming to be Wraith opened the door the rest of the way, revealing themselves as someone of average height under a black cloak that reached down to his knees. His face was hidden behind shadows, meaning it was hard to read his expression. But his body language indicated exhaustion and frustration. 

“Finally.” he grumbled. “You’d think that proving your identity would get easier after the first few hundred times. Pain in the ass…” 

“Assuming that you’re Wraith, what are you here for?” The Major asked, lowering his gun but keeping it ready to use at a moment’s notice. “It’s a bit late to talk cape business.”

“Don’t I know it.” Wraith said, stepping inside the apartment. “All I’m here for is a hot shower, some food, and then I’m going straight to bed.”

The Major felt as if something in his brain had just short circuited. “To bed? You sleep here?” he asked incredulously. And he’d just forgotten about the cape who apparently lived out of his apartment so easily? That was an incredibly strong power.

“Yep.” Wraith said, sounding almost cheerfully smug. “Right there on the couch. Or at least- I normally do. We’ve got a houseguest, so I’m afraid I’ll just have to make do with the floor.”

“Houseguest?” The Major said, already dreading the answer. “Does that have something to do with the other person I heard outside…” his voice trailed off as he noticed the young girl standing outside the door, staring nervously. 

Specifically, he noticed her inhuman yellow eyes with slit pupils. And those bumps on her hat looked an awful lot like ears… “Wraith?” He turned towards his erstwhile ally, only to find that he’d absconded as the bathroom door shut behind him. 

The Major’s eyes narrowed. You traitor! You don’t just get to say that we’re teammates and leave me hanging like that! “Wraith!” he shouted. “Do not dump this on me right after we just met! Again!” 

The sound of the shower starting was clearly audible. So was the sound of Wraith humming a tuneless song. He sighed, turning back to the open door and the young not-entirely-human girl who was just standing there, unsure of what to do next. 

“Come on in before you let the bugs in.” he said, turning back towards the couch and sitting down. “I apparently need to have a talk with Wraith about inviting people over to my safehouse.” 

The cat-like girl closed the door behind her slowly, staring at the five locks on the inside of the door. “How do I deal with these, mister…” 

“Just call me the Major.” he said, searching around in the cushions for the remote control. “Everyone does. Don’t worry about the locks- we’re expecting someone else any minute.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Major.” she said politely, standing by the door like a social outcast at a school dance. As he turned on the TV and began scanning through the channels, he wondered why she was behaving so stiffly-

The metal of his gun was cool against his hand. He hadn’t even noticed he was still holding it, had never put it away. Glancing to his side surreptitiously, he noticed the girl staring at his sidearm quietly. 

Damn it. I’m not used to being around kids anymore. He holstered the gun slowly, making a point of closing the strap over it with an audible click. She walked over to the far end of the couch, looking at its worn fabric appraisingly. 

“Do you mind if I sit here, Major?” she asked. 

“Go ahead.” he said curtly, changing to the news channel with subtitles. The reporters were talking about members of the Mafia arrested after an altercation with an unknown cape, showing shaky video footage of a man in leather and a motorcycle helmet beating the hell out of the thugs. 

He wasn’t sure if he should congratulate Blitz or chew him out for being so obvious. The last thing that they needed was the cops obstructing them because they’d gone too far taking down criminals. 

“Are you a cape too?” the girl asked, sitting with her arms around her knees. The Major couldn’t help but notice how small she was- she couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen. They’re this young, now? He thought to himself in disgust. What the hell is causing these monster capes? 

“Wraith told me that he was a hero, so I’m guessing that you’re part of his team.” she continued. “Or maybe, he’s part of your team. You look like the leader type…” 

“Have you decided on a cape name yet?” he asked. “It’s better to come up with one ahead of time. Otherwise, the press will give you one you won’t like. Good luck trying to change it later.”

She looked up, almost startled. “Wait, wait? I’m not a cape… I didn’t mean to mislead you.”

“Really?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “You’re sure.”

“Yeah. I don’t have any ‘powers’ that I know of, I still have all my old memories, and I don’t have that tattoo Wraith mentioned.” the girl counted off on her fingers. “Sorry.” she said apologetically.

“No, that’s not a problem. You’re still young… Too young to have to deal with this.” The Major said, turning off the TV and turning all his attention to his new guest. “So. I’m guessing you talked to Wraith about this subject already. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” 

She shrugged. “Go right ahead. I don’t mind.” 

He steepled his fingers, choosing his words carefully. “What kind of person do you think Wraith is? What kind of impression did he make on you?” 

The girl looked up, eyes wide with confusion. “Shouldn’t you know more about him than I do? Considering that you’re teammates and all…” 

“His power apparently makes people forget ever having met him.” he said wearily. “It’s invaluable for stealth purposes, as no one even notices him unless he lets himself be noticed. Sadly, it has a universal effect, with no exemptions as far as we can tell.”

She sucked in a breath, nodding. “Wow. That… explains a lot, actually.”

“Hmm?”

“Well, he was really hard to get a read on. The hidden face is part of it- the rest is how he kept changing moods so often. At first he was really tense and nervous, and then he freaked out when he thought he hurt my feelings. It’s almost like he doesn’t have a lot of experience talking to people…” the girl concluded. 

“Well, that’s certainly illuminating, but that doesn’t answer my main concern.” he said irritably. “Do you think he’s trustworthy?”

“I know he is who he says he is.” she returned. “And I don’t think that he’s plotting against you.”

“I guess that’ll have to do for now.” The Major turned back to the TV. “Anyway, even if you aren’t a cape, a whole bunch of people will think that you are. You’ll need some other name to go by so no-one hunts down your family.”

“Um…” she said eloquently. “I’m from a long ways away, so I don’t think that ought to be much of a problem. You can just call me Niko.” 

“Neko, huh.” he mused. “Not bad. A little on the nose,” he said as he glanced at her feline features, “but you’re young enough to get away with it if anyone starts asking questions.” 

Niko looked like she was going to raise an objection, but thought better of it. “It shouldn’t be a problem, sir. I won’t be staying for more than a few days.”

“You cut some kind of deal with Wraith?” The Major asked. He wasn’t bothered by the idea, but he was bothered that the cloaked asshole hadn’t bothered to tell him in advance. 

“I guess you could say that.” Niko said, grinning sheepishly. “He said I’d have trouble finding somewhere else that wouldn’t ask questions, considering I’m only twelve and… well, you know.”

“So where are you planning to go once a few days are up?” he asked. “Because I can’t just let a young girl walk off alone in good conscience.” 

“It’s not like that!” She protested. “A friend’s going to be giving me a ride home, and I just need a place to stay until they pick me up. I promise that I can stay out of your hair.” 

The Major had several questions. How far away from home was this young girl, exactly? What was she doing in Brockton Bay alone? If she wasn’t a monstrous cape, than why was she a cat person?

And while she had been nervous about his gun, she hadn’t been actually surprised or afraid..What the hell had she already been through to be so unafraid- or competent at hiding her fear? 

But in the end he voiced none of these concerns, partly out of respect for her privacy and partly because he was preoccupied with the relentless work of being a hero. He’d already agreed to accept her offer internally.

“This friend of yours.” he asked, voice low and measured. “Are you sure that you can trust them?” 

“I’ve known them for a while, and they’ve helped me a lot? I’m pretty sure that I can trust them.” Niko responded, sounding almost like she couldn’t understand why he would ask that kind of question. 

“But should you trust them to take you home.” The Major emphasized. “There are a lot of crazy people out there, kid, and-” 

“He saved my life.” Niko said with a glare. “He promised. We’ve known each other for a long time now, and I trust him more than anyone else.” I trust him more than you.

Silence reigned in the living room, with the exception of running water from the bathroom as Wraith’s humming continued unabated. The Major’s eyebrow twitched. It’s been twenty minutes in there- There won’t be any hot water left! 

“Sorry.” Niko said, subdued. “It’s just that-”

“No, I understand.” he said in return. “But doubting is what got me this far in life. Doubting my parents, doubting my orders, doubting the news…” 

He met her eyes, doing his best to smile wryly. “I guess I’ve just gotten in the habit of doing it too often. My apologies, Neko.”

“Apology accepted, Major.” She smiled. 

And then the door swung open with a crash. Niko jumped three feet straight up in the air in shock and the Major drew his gun in an instant. 

The huge, hulking figure loomed in the doorway, accompanied by the-   
delicious, mouthwatering scent of fresh pizza?

“Sorry I’m late, guys!” Blitz said cheerfully as he removed his motorcycle helmet. “The line at the Shack was ridiculous!”


	7. Chapter 7

After he’d finished restraining the Mafia thugs at the warehouse, Blitz had avoided sticking around any longer than necessary. Having to explain things to the cops would just be a waste of time- and could mean that he’d get arrested himself. 

So he’d kept a fresh set of clothes in his car, parked in an alley several blocks away. After he changed, he drove home, took a nice cold shower, and began looking into dinner options. 

He’d been interested in pizza because he hadn’t had any for almost a week. Unfortunately, he’d been forced to choose between the cardboard-esque pizza of Dominoes, or waiting in line for almost an hour at the incredibly popular Pizza Shack. 

And even after that long wait in line, stuck between a family of five and a fat guy with bad body odor, he couldn’t help but think that he’d made the right choice. That smell alone was heavenly, indicating the freshest of ingredients and perfect baking.

He parked his aging sedan in front of the tall apartment building, using the Major’s empty parking space. The old man didn’t put much stock in cars, claiming that owning one was more trouble than it was worth. 

Of course that didn’t stop the Major from carpooling with him whenever they needed to be somewhere in a hurry. It was more likely that the old man was just lazy about anything that wasn’t heroism.

Grabbing the pizzas and making sure that the car door was locked, the hero began walking up nine flights of stairs. The ascent was a piece of cake thanks to his excellent physical condition, making it more tedious than anything else.

But the building was too old and cheap to have an elevator, so he had no choice. Doesn’t make it any less of a pain. He grumbled internally. 

After the team ate, he planned on going straight to bed before ten. He had a habit of hitting the sack early and waking up the same way. Fighting criminals was exhausting- and his morning shift began at six. 

Apartment 916 was his destination, it’s grey-green painted door inconspicuous when viewed from the outside. Of course, the Major had both the door and hinges reinforced against both gunfire and blunt force trauma, in addition to metal plates placed in the walls to slow down any other breaching attempts. 

He’d had to talk the old man out of including special bulletproof window shutters on the grounds that there was no way they could hide those changes from the landlord. Frankly, he wasn’t certain how any of the remodeling had gone unnoticed. 

Maybe the Major had slipped the building owner a few hundred dollars to look the other way? It would have been the simplest and most pragmatic approach. It wasn’t Blitz’s problem either way. 

Thankfully, he had a key to the safehouse. It had taken almost six months of collaboration before the Major had trusted him to the point where he’d gotten the privilege of entering as he pleased. 

With a soft click, he unlocked the door and flung it open dramatically. Here we go! Blitz thought exuberantly. This is for all those times I had to drive you places, old man! 

“Sorry I’m late, guys!” he said, dropping the pizzas with care on the doorside table and ripping off his helmet. “The line at the Shack was ridiculous!” 

The Major was sitting on the far end of the couch, gun trained in his general direction.Thankfully, the aging hero recognized him, slowly lowering the gun as his facial expression changed from tense to his usual annoyance and frustration. 

“Blitz.” he said in a gravelly voice. “Knock next time, would you? Almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Isn’t that the whole reason why you gave me the key?” Blitz said, opening one of the boxes and lifting a slice to his mouth. “I meen, ish nots loike I nock when I coome-” 

“Stop.” The Major’s eyebrow twitched as he pointed an accusing finger at Blitz, who stopped attempting to argue through a mouthful of pizza. 

“Chew.”   
Blitz chewed contritely. 

“Swallow.”   
He did, remembering how his father had lectured him on the same subject twenty years ago. Some things never change… 

The Major looked at him expectantly, hand outstretched. Blitz sighed, handing over the other pizza with it’s borderline heretical mixture of pepperoni and pineapple to his team leader, who began examining the pizza with a scrutinous eye. 

“Is everything in order?” he asked as the Major continued to examine the pizza for any flaws, sniffing at it like a wine tester and poking the pineapple for signs of weakness.

“Quite. The sauce isn’t oversweet, the cheese is perfectly spread and cooked, the toppings are fresh.” The Major gave an expression that a lesser man might have mistaken for a smile. “But I already ate an hour ago.”

Blitz shrugged. And? That’s my problem how? I just thought that you might want some food that wasn’t prepackaged, reheated garbage. If you don’t want it, then there’s more for me. 

The Major placed the box on the couch next to him. “Do you want any pizza, Neko?” he asked. 

Blitz did a double take. How had he not noticed the young girl sitting on the other end of the couch? Was she one of those damn invisible capes? 

“Thanks, but I’ve got my own food right here.” She responded, pulling off her small knapsack and reaching inside. And kept reaching, all the way down to her shoulder as she continued rummaging through it. “Come on, come on! It should be right here near the top…” 

Blitz tore his eyes away from this blatant and horrific defiance of physics, to see that the Major was just as disbelieving as he was. That bag’s maybe eight inches deep. Is the thing somehow bigger on the inside? 

“Ah!” the girl exclaimed happily. “Here we go!” she said, withdrawing an insulated bag larger than the knapsack from it. She opened it, revealing two fish fillets on a bed of lettuce accompanied by silverware and some indistinguishable brown sauce. 

The Major looked upon the practically gourmet meal with the face of a man who had subsisted on MRE’s for two years, and wondered where this bullshit had been while he was in the army. 

However, there were some battles even he was not willing to fight. With a sigh, the Major washed his hands of the situation. “Sorry for the short notice, Blitz. This is Neko. She’ll be staying with us for the next few days.” 

Niko paused in the middle of a bite and did her best to give him a smile. She swallowed. “Nice to meet you, Blitz! Sorry if I’m interrupting anything.” 

Blitz was still trying to wrap his head around what the hell had just happened, and he had several questions for Niko and the Major. Prominent among them was something along the lines of ‘Why are we taking in strays?’

The ‘old him’ would have demanded an explanation from both of them, would have complained about how much the situation sucked. But thankfully, he wasn’t the same person he was before he got his power. 

Patience had never been one of his strong suits. In fact, it still wasn’t. But his power required an incredible sense of timing from him. Early on he’d attacked recklessly and relentlessly, receiving lots of damage as a result. 

It had taken months of practice and dozens of fights before he’d gotten a handle on waiting for problems so he could respond at the perfect time. Swing too early, and he’d leave himself open. Swing too late, and he might as well not have swung at all. It hadn’t been an easy adjustment, but over time he’d gotten pretty good at letting things come to him. 

While it wasn’t really a direct comparison, the same basic principles applied to conversation. He decided to avoid confronting the two offending parties directly. He’d be able to learn more by keeping his mouth shut until the right moment when they’d be more receptive to his questions. 

So Blitz shrugged, again. Most of the time he was a pretty carefree guy who tried to keep his head level and his thoughts civil. And besides, he’d done plenty of weird shit as a kid too. He had no room to complain now. 

“Nice to meetcha. I’m Blitz.” he said, extending his hand for a handshake. (He made certain not to squeeze her small hand too firmly.) Niko put down her knife when she shook his hand in return. Using the knife in the right hand, European style, He noted.

“Blitz has been my partner on the battlefield for almost a year now.” The Major said, sounding almost proud. “While his casual attitude is occasionally infuriating-”

“And he’s no spring chicken either.” Blitz jabbed good naturedly. 

“-He is a good asset to our team.” The Major continued, giving Blitz the stink eye. “He covers a vital role in combat thanks to his power.” 

Neko looked up from her already half finished meal. “His power?” she said curiously. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about that, but I won’t tell anyone else.” 

Blitz glanced over to the Major, who gave a tiny nod in return. “Okay, so I can hit stuff harder than normal and move really quickly, and I’ve sorta got damage reduction when I’m attacking stuff.” he explained, trying to generalize in a way she’d understand and avoid spoiling too much.

“Wow.” she responded. “That sounds really, really strong. Are you one of those martial arts masters?” 

“I wish. I’m more of a brawler, honestly. Most of the moves I like aren’t exactly in the official books if you know what I’m saying. But yeah. If I can get within punching range, I can take almost anyone out.”

“Almost?” Niko looked worried. “Have you fought someone who you couldn’t hurt or beat before?”

“Nah, nah. That’s the thing about being a cape- you gotta pick your battles. Someone like Alexandria’s basically invincible, and she hits even harder than I do. That’s not a fight I’m interested in. So I stay out of 

“So what if you had to run away?” Niko asked, her eyes intense and focused. “From something you knew you couldn’t beat, couldn’t even hurt. Even if you’re fast-” 

“That’s one of the reasons why I’m around.” The Major said dryly, reaching into his pocket and removing a small ball-bearing. “My power and Blitz’s synergize excellently. A single object I touch can be activated with energy.” 

His thumb touched the ball bearing with an audible clicking sound. Tossing it up into the air, the Major caught it in his other hand. “Once it has been charged, I can let the power loose whenever I want.” 

The entire room was enveloped in a slightly purple light, letting loose a soft sound not unlike the surf on a beach. Blitz rolled his eyes and sighed as he felt his feet lift the ground. “Come on, old man! We get it, your antigravity’s as cool as hel-heck.” 

Niko gasped, eyes wide as she poked at her now-floating salad with her now-floating fork as she left the couch, slowly turning over in midair. “That’s amazing, Major! How long can you keep things like this?” 

“Depends on how heavy the things I’m working on are.” The Major said, still on the couch- seemingly unaffected by his power. “By the way, you might want to zip up your food there. Wouldn’t want to make a mess when gravity comes back.”

“Right.” Niko said, trying to put the salad and sauce back in the bag with her fork. After a few failed pokes, she decided on sweeping the bag like a bug net to catch it, zipping it closed quickly before anything could leak out. 

Noticing she was finished, The Major began lowering his power slowly instead of turning it off suddenly. Blitz was already positioned for a proper landing as he’d learned in long painful hours of training in altered gravity

Niko found herself almost upside down, grabbing onto the back of the couch and swinging herself down into a sitting position while gravity continued its return. “All the blood’s gone to my head…” she said. “How are you guys so calm?” 

“Practice.” The Major said simply. 

“A load of practice.” Blitz said. “But it’s worth it. He sets ‘em up, and I put ‘em down. We make a great team.” 

He was debating if he should mention that the Major could use his bullets to apply the same effect from a huge distance when the bathroom door crashed open, revealing a young man wearing a damp towel around his waist and another wrapped around his head. 

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry!” Wraith complained, removing the towel from his head and rubbing his hair in an attempt to remove the water. “I won’t take a half an hour to shower if you promise-” he pointed a finger at the Major. “-not to use your antigravity when I’m in there!” 

The Major didn’t even flinch. “It was an accident, was just showing Neko what my power’s like.” 

“Actually, um… My name isn’t Neko. It’s Niko.” she said, raising her hand like she was in a school classroom. 

Blitz shook his head. “I know you’re young and new to this whole thing, but you can’t go around saying your real name if you’re a cape…” 

“She’s not a cape/I’m not a cape.” Everyone else responded, almost simultaneously. 

Blitz briefly considered questioning how Niko could do the whole bigger on the inside thing with her bag, but it was quickly growing too late for this shit. 

“Fine. I’ll be back in the morning for briefing.” he said, grabbing the nearly full box of pepperoni pizza. “Sayonara.” 

Halfway down the staircase, it occurred to Blitz that most young girls didn’t have blue hair, or luminescent yellow eyes. He shrugged it off. If no one else was going to bring it up, then he wasn’t going to be the one to ask.


	8. Chapter 8

Wraith had never liked having to deal with the Major’s power. Anti-gravity seemed like a lot of fun at first, and it was in a lot of ways- but not when he was taking a shower!

The worst part was how sudden it was. One moment he’d been lathered up, scrubbing his hair and then his feet were leaving the ground and the shower was filled with water bubbles. It was only thanks to his brutal training that he managed to avoid screaming from the soap in his eyes, and then gravity had started just when he’d opened the shower door. 

In response to half the bathroom being soaked, he’d washed his hands of the whole affair. Literally. And it wasn’t until Blitz had left with the rest of the pepperoni pizza that he realized that he was standing in the open, with only a mere two towels between him and a young girl.

Wraith looked up to meet the Major’s disapproving stare as he continued to drip onto the aging carpet. Niko, for her part, did her best to stare up at the ceiling as nonchalantly as possible. 

“Excuse me for a moment.” he whispered, ducking back into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him. Next time, hopefully you’ll remember that there’s a guest over before showing up to breakfast in your underwear. He thought to himself, removing the towel and doing his best to dry down his hair. 

Staring into the mirror, he examined his features through a thick layer of condensation. His hair was getting pretty long, which probably had something to do with its status- constantly hidden underneath his hood and out of sight. The same went for its color, which was definitely more brown than red by now thanks to a lack of sunlight. 

Wraith flexed experimentally in front of the mirror, frowning as he did so. He’d always been a bag of bones, and all the training in the world could only help his bulk so much. Of course he’d never really been the type of guy to care before, but he couldn’t help but feel inadequate in comparison to the rest of his team. 

Despite the Major’s middle age, the man was built like a brick wall, short and stocky. And Blitz could have been a professional weightlifter if he hadn’t been a cape. So while Wraith wasn’t exactly a stick figure, he still wasn’t anything impressive. 

Good thing that my power helps make up for it. He thought as he finished toweling off, turning on the bathroom fan to help dry the mess on the floor. His bodysuit was next, dark grey and lightly armored using some brand-new high tech materials.

The Major had tried explaining how the armor’s materials worked, the ridiculous amount of money it had cost them, blah blah blah. He’d lost track of the explanation after about half a minute. All he knew was that the suit was good against knives and small caliber bullets, and was probably the product of some cape somewhere. 

He slipped the suit on, contorting his arm to pull the back zipper up the length of his spine. It had taken some getting used to wearing the thing, especially considering he wore it for hours at a time and there wasn’t always a convenient toilet nearby. 

Thankfully, his power was incredibly helpful in desperate situations, letting him easily slip away to relieve himself surreptitiously. And that’s enough thinking about that subject, thank you very much. He thought, reaching for his cloak. 

Just because he could and had to do audacious things at times didn’t mean that he enjoyed doing so. It had taken him months to get used to the terror that gripped his heart whenever he snuck past someone, the instincts that told him he was standing out like a sore thumb. Over time he’d developed a fine sense for when his power was activated, and an even greater confidence in his invisibility. 

He could shout, clap his hands together, even fire a gun next to someone’s head, and they wouldn’t notice him. Sure, if there was a loud enough noise they’d react and begin looking for what happened, but they would be unable to know it was him. Hell, he could punch someone square in the face without breaking his power. 

Unfortunately, rumors of an invisible cape had been spreading around the city. No one could remember him or his costume, but seeing your buddy in a chokehold from some invisible force was a pretty strong give-away. So he mostly avoided fighting directly, either relying on distractions or taking down the unaware silently. 

He checked his two weapons, holstered inside of his cloak’s pockets. On the left was a collapsible metal baton, and on his right, a simple combat knife with a wicked edge. Even with training in both, he didn’t like using them. They felt clumsy, oversized in his hands.

The Major’s years of training and experience meant he used his weapons like a professional, quickly and efficiently. Blitz might have lost points for loose form, but he more than earned them back through his incredible reaction times and natural grace. 

Wraith used his weapons to catch people off guard, because it was easier and because he didn’t trust his chances when attacking head on. While his power could be a tremendous pain in the ass, he was grateful he didn’t have something more direct, like super speed or controlling bugs. 

The thought of walking headlong towards a dozen armed gangsters still unnerved him, even while invisible. Trying to do what Blitz did seemed far more like a form of suicide. 

The cloak was surprisingly heavy, made from the same ballistic materials as his body suit. It had taken time to get used to wearing and moving with it, and one of the best ways he’d found was to wear it twenty four seven. 

Sure, he still had normal clothes if he needed to make a rare appearance at a public office for something, but he usually could just take off the hood and pretend to be wearing some sort of cosplay or something. People would give him strange looks, but at least he wasn’t fingered as a cape. Thanks, power, for enabling my laziness.

He pulled the hood up over his head, feeling the smooth material run over his ears. The shadowy face was probably a side product of his power, however the hell that worked. He’d tested it with other hoods only to find the same result, as the shadows underneath became an impenetrable darkness. 

Checking himself over one last time in the mirror, Wraith turned to the door before realizing he’d forgotten to put his boots back on. Screw it. I’m going right to bed anyway. Opening the bathroom door again, he noticed the Major and Niko in some sort of conversation. 

The two of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, the Major even having removed his bandanna to reveal the lower half of his face as he continued eating his disgusting pineapple pizza. 

“-and then he says, ‘You’ve got the wrong guy! I just sell the things!’” Niko said, leaving the punchline orphaned. Which was a shame, considering that the Major was actually smiling. It must have been a pretty good joke, all things considered.

“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” The Major asked. “I’ve got several spare blankets in the back in case it’s cold.” 

“Thanks, but I’ve already got my own sleeping supplies.” Niko said, opening her knapsack and removing a compact sleeping bag which she began to unroll onto the couch. 

Wraith blinked, doing a double take at the sight of the much larger bag coming from the comparatively tiny knapsack. When Niko continued to withdraw a soft-looking pillow, a blue towel and washcloth, and a small kit of toiletries, it was all he could do to avoid his jaw hitting the ground

“How much stuff do you have in there?” The Major asked, thankfully asking Wraith’s unspoken question for him. “First the dinner and now this?” 

“Just the basic necessities.” Niko said, laying down the pillow with a smile. “I’ve been to a whole lot of places where I need to camp out, so I might as well be comfy!” 

“Right then.” The Major straightened up, rubbing a crick out of his neck. “I guess that means that Wraith here will have the rest of the blankets to himself.” He turned to Wraith. “Do you want to sleep out here on the carpet or in the kitchen?” 

Wraith thought of how his power involuntarily activated when he was asleep, and the premonitions of Niko or the Major tripping over him made him wince involuntarily. “Kitchen. I won’t be in the way so much there.” 

Niko looked up from the middle of her sleeping bag, concerned. “Are you sure? There’s plenty of room out here, it's gotta be softer than in the kitchen…” 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got lots of extra blankets because you aren’t using any.” Wraith said, thoughts of being the first to the fridge next morning tempting him. 

“Alright then.” Niko said, jumping out of the sleeping bag. “I’ll be getting ready for bed, if that’s alright.” 

“Go ahead, see you tomorrow morning.” The Major said.

“You’re going right to bed?” Niko asked.

“We all get up around six to plan out the day before we split up and do our own thing.” The Major rubbed the back of his head, looking almost… Apologetic? Nah, couldn’t be. “If that’s too early, we can work something out…” 

“It’s fine, I’m used to getting up early.” Niko said, waving off the Major’s concerns. “See you then!” She closed the door energetically.

Wraith turned to his team’s leader slowly, feeling trepidation in his heart for some unknown reason. The Major let out a long breath and laid his hand on Wraith’s shoulder. “I’m asking you to look after Niko tomorrow morning, Wraith.”

He recoiled backwards, his hood obscuring his shocked expression. “I’m this close to cracking Galvanate’s structure here in the Bay and you want me to babysit?” he hissed, frustration obvious in his voice. 

“That is not what I’m asking, Wraith.” the Major said in a level tone that brokered no argument. “Niko is obviously self-reliant, and trying to ‘babysit’ her would just lead to frustration for both of you. All I’m asking is for you not to use your power and keep an eye on her so she won’t stumble into something by accident.” 

Wraith felt like he was going to scream. “And how exactly am I supposed to keep an eye on her when I’m spying on a bunch of Mafia?” 

“Don’t you have those bugs planted already?” The Major frowned. “Just listen to the recordings and see if we can’t figure stuff out from there.” 

“Why can’t you do it? Information’s usually your job…” Wraith mumbled, frustration giving way to grudging acceptance. 

“I’ve got patrol tomorrow morning.” The Major said patiently, like he was explaining himself to a petulant child. “Got to keep them on their toes.” The man must have noticed Wraith’s frustration in his body language, because he was quick to elaborate. “Look, Blitz should be coming in around noon. He’ll probably show her around town or something.”

“I know. It’s fine.” Wraith said, his tone of voice making it clear that he didn’t think so. But what choice did he have? If Niko had just been an ordinary girl, than maybe they could just left her in the apartment while they worked. But considering the importance of keeping an eye on her...

The Major straightened, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a roll of crumpled bills. “I’ve talked with Niko and I’m fairly certain she’s telling the truth, which means that she’s leaving in just a few days. But I’m asking you to keep an eye out for any inconsistencies, any suspicions you might have.” 

Wraith felt a chill run down his spine. “And you’re asking me to deal with her if she’s trying to pull something over on us?” 

“If it comes down to it, yes. I trust your judgement to use the amount of force necessary.” The Major sighed, stress lines around his eyes evident. “Just question her if you notice anything at first. If she’s evasive, keep an eye out. Write anything of interest down. And only take hostile action if she initiates it.” 

“Yes sir.” Wraith said, puzzling over Niko’s behavior from earlier. She’s strangely familiar with cape stuff- or something similar. But she seems genuinely guileless and happy… 

“What a world we live in, where we can’t even trust a little girl… it’s all so damn complicated.” The Major bemoaned. 

“And what about her cat features?” Wraith pushed. “Her bag of holding?” 

“Bag of what now?” The Major asked, confused. 

“It’s a nerd thing, never mind.” Wraith brushed off the question. “I’m just genuinely curious about a bunch of things about her, sir.”

“You’re not alone in that, Wraith.” The Major said, turning toward the bedroom to get the spare blankets. “Maybe if we manage to keep on good terms, she’ll be willing to answer some of our questions before her friend arrives to pick her up.” 

“Her friend’s coming to pick her up?” Wraith asked, memories of a movie about aliens returning to him. That would explain the cat ears… And the bag breaking the laws of physics… 

“Her words, not mine.” The Major said brusquely, returning with four spare blankets and a pillow. “She was intentionally vague, but she did mention that she’s been traveling for a long time on her way back home.” 

Well, that’s not suspicious at all… Wraith thought.


	9. Chapter 9

Niko entered the bathroom and noticed the soaking wet towels on the floor with a grimace. The walls were also splashed with water, and the shower stall was almost completely covered in it. 

 

 _This must have happened when the Major used his antigravity…_ she thought, stepping over to the sink and opening her bag. 

 

Thankfully, she’d taken a bath just this morning so she didn’t have to face the harrowing prospect of trying to shower with no clean towels. Withdrawing her toothbrush, she began going about cleaning her teeth carefully.

 

 **How’re you holding up?** John asked. **I know it's been a long day for you…**

 

 _I’m doing just fine, John._ She moved on to flossing. _The Major and Blitz seem nice- at least, that’s what it looked like from my perspective._

 

**Yeah, about that… They’re being genuine, but they aren’t sure if you’re not trying to pull a fast one on them. Sort of a combination of healthy paranoia, and the fact that our story’s got more holes in it than swiss cheese.**

 

Niko sighed, putting the floss container away and wiping off the mirror’s condensation. At least the fan and ventilation was high quality, already drying up the standing water in the room. 

 

_I’m guessing it’s got a lot to do with how I told them that I’m not a cape, right?_

 

**Yeah, that’s some of it. People afraid of what they don’t understand. But it’s not just that. There are capes that puppeteer people, that create illusions. That’s why Master/Stranger protocols are such a big deal, because you can’t even trust yourself at times.**

 

So this was the kind of power that capes could wield. Considering secret identities, any person you could bump into on the street could be a cape- who could destroy you in any manner of insane ways.

 

 _You mentioned that you’re getting a lot of good reads on them, John._ Niko said, removing her hat and combing her hair briskly. _So if they’re so suspicious, then why would they even pretend to be friendly?_

 

 **Several reasons. But first and foremost is that these guys are heroes with a capital H.** John said, sounding impressed as he scrolled down. **From what I’m seeing here, all of the money they’re making is going straight back into heroing**

 

**The Major retired from the military and started hunting down criminals. Blitz singlehandedly drives gangs out of the city, and Wraith only ever stops heroing to eat and sleep. They’re chronic… Not sure if that’s entirely healthy, but as long as it works...**

 

Niko blinked. Well, that was good news. For her at least. _Great to hear. Do you know why they didn’t just get in touch with the police or whoever? Because I kinda get the feeling that three workaholics aren’t terribly excited about looking after me._

 

 **Good question, let me see…** John was silent for almost an uncharacteristically long length of time, searching. **They’re not on good terms with the police? That doesn’t make any sense considering how many criminals they’ve put away…**

 

 _Maybe there’s something we’re missing here?_ Niko said, closing her bag and hanging up the damp towels so they wouldn’t stay wet and get all smelly. _You mentioned that you know a lot about this world already, so let’s hear it and see if we can put the pieces together._

 

 **Okay.** John sighed, sounding like the late night was wearing away at him. **It’s kinda a lot to cover, so I’ll make this quick. Earth Bet’s… a popular topic, so to speak. It’s actually one of the places I know the most about.**

 

_And so, superpowered people who call themselves capes run around, getting into fights with each other._

 

**Pretty much. People started ending up with superpowers in the late 80’s, causing this timeline to diverge from the others in the same cluster. And basically, everything went downhill from there.**

 

Niko ignored the urge to dig deeper into what John was leaving unsaid, and turned the conversation back to the matter at hand. _Didn’t you say earlier that we’re in Brockton Bay right now?_

 

**Yeah, but that’s just it. I know almost everything there is to know about the Bay’s capes, and I don’t recognize these guys at all. There’s no way I’d have overlooked them, so something’s afoot. Again.**

 

Niko bit her lip. The only thing worse than having no information about where they were, was not being sure what or who they could trust. _Well, hopefully we’re not in a parallel universe again._

 

**God, I hope not. But I’m not sure what else could be causing this. I do know Wraith has a Stranger effect, but-**

 

Niko snapped her fingers in realization. _That’s how he managed to sneak up on us in the alleyway! We only noticed him when he let us notice him!_ She shivered. What an absolutely terrifying power. And from what they’d seen earlier, even his own team wasn’t exempt from its effects. 

 

 **Well, he’s not going to be able to pull that trick on us a second time.** John said grimly. **I’m making a reminder and a marking right here so I won’t lose track of where he is. “Don’t forget about Wraith.”**

 

_Do you think it’s going to make me forget again? I know a lot of mental status stuff doesn’t work as well because of the connection…_

 

**Not sure. But if it does still work on you, then I’ll just have to send you a reminder about him. Now that I’m looking out for it, I’ll definitely notice when he uses it again.**

 

Niko sat down on a short wooden stool with a sigh. _So we’re right back to square one. Things are different, and we don’t know why._

 

**Afraid so. I know we aren’t going to be staying long, but I’d feel a lot safer if I could get some more specific info. But I can’t think of what else could be changing stuff up besides an alternate universe-**

 

John paused while looking through information, his stunned shock bleeding through into the link. Niko reflexively looked upwards, a holdover from when they were both getting used to being partners. _What’s wrong? Did you think of something?_

 

 **You’ve got to be kidding me.** John seethed. **Seriously? Of all the things it could have been!**

 

_John, what is it! What’s wrong this time!_

 

**It’s freaking time dilation- we aren’t in 2011 at all! And because the Bay hasn’t been wiped off the face of the earth yet, I’m guessing we’re sometime further in the past.**

 

Niko retrieved her hat, putting it into the depths of her knapsack while trying to think positively. _Well, it could be worse._

 

 **I know.** John sighed. **But this world’s dangerous. Probably in the top five we’ve visited, as far as that goes.**

 

Unwinding her blue scarf from around her neck, Niko gave John a look. It wasn’t dramatic or iconic enough to be The Look, it was just a look that captured many possible emotions. Mild disapproval, slight surprise, and an incoming question. 

 

 _If we’re in the past, can’t we at least give them some info about what’s going to happen in the  future?_ Niko asked. _If things are bad and about to get even worse…_

 

 **Way ahead of you.** John grinned, pulling up a second set of documents. **According to my notes here… Find Kevin Norton and get him off the street, make contact with Cauldron, warn Eidolon about the Endbringers and get the poor guy some therapy… Oh, and Jack Slash has to go.**

 

 _When you say Jack Slash has to go…_ Niko said uncomfortably. _Does he have to go, or_ _go_ _?_

 

John paused before continuing. **Hopefully it won’t come to that. I’ve got good faith that Cauldron can handle it- they’ve got a guy who can take away a cape’s powers. That alone ought to buy the world twenty years. Maybe more without the Endbringers.**

 

_That’s the second time you’ve mentioned the Endbringers. I’m guessing that they’re bad news._

 

 **You’d be correct, Niko.** John sighed. **They aren’t the biggest problem Earth Bet’s got, but they are the most immediate and dangerous.**

 

 _What exactly are they?_ Niko asked, already suspecting what the answer probably was. She’d seen similar situations on other worlds. Situations that John had avoided for her safety. 

 

**They’re giant, almost invincible monsters with insane destructive power. They attack in just the right places to mess things up long term, but they’re holding back so humanity’s dying a slow death instead.**

 

John’s voice grew more heated, filled with an almost righteous indignation. **They’re attacking because stupid Eidolon ‘wants worthy opponents’ or something. The only one who can really stop them is Scion, but he’s an idiot! And an alien! And eventually he’ll give in to despair and blow up the world!**

 

Niko frowned, remembering other worlds and other confrontations. She slowly considered their options, and nodded. _As long as we can get some help…_

 

 **We?** John said incredulously. **What makes you think I’m letting you anywhere near this fight?**

 

Internally, Niko felt herself crumple. _You aren’t even going to let me try? At all?_ She was tired of being on the sidelines, tired of being a precious doll that no one would dare risk breaking. 

 

 **You heard what I said.** John’s voice harbored no argument. **Not when a quarter of capes die in Endbringer fights on average. Not when we’re so close to getting you back home again.**

 

_Still! T-there has to be something I can do!_

 

**We’re going to get you out of here before something stupid happens, I’ll contact Cauldron, and they should be able to handle things mostly on their own. Despite their questionable approach to morality, they have the best resources.**

 

Niko grasped for another point of argument, clutching it like a drowning man holding on to a life preserver. _What if things can’t wait for the jump to recharge! People could be in trouble, out there, right now!_

 

John sighed. **Either way, a couple of days won’t make that much difference. By then you’ll be offworld, and I won’t have to worry about you getting caught up in the crossfire.**

 

Niko was lost in thought, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what John called Endbringer attacks. Major cities, wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of hours. She couldn’t help but ask. _How many people die in each attack, John?_

 

He caught on to her reasoning right away. **Niko, don’t be like this, they only attack every few months, you won’t be getting in the way-**

 

Niko snapped her bag closed, gritting her teeth. _That’s not an answer, John. Not one I’m going to accept._

 

 **It depends.** John said evasively. **Japan and Newfoundland were the worst. I’m not sure on exact numbers but that at least a hundred million. New York City must have been five million, give or take. By 2011, Earth Bet’s population is almost down to three billion and still declining. Is that enough of an answer for you?**

 

Niko was too angry to let these terrifying statistics slow her down. _So you’re willing to risk the lives of millions of people because you’re afraid that something MIGHT happen to me? You’re willing to let them all die just to be sure I’m safe?_

 

 **I think we both know the answer to that question.** John said, his voice distant and cold. **I want to save them just as much as you do, Niko. But if I have to choose between the world and you- there’s no contest. You’re the most important person here.**

 

Those old words tore open the old wounds that they’d once left behind. Niko didn’t know what to say. _This isn’t like you, John._ She forced out.

 

 **That’s a lie. This is exactly who I am.** John’s reply wasn’t angry or dramatic. He just sounded tired. **I’m no hero, no savior, and I’m definitely not a god. I’m just trying to do what I can with what I’ve got. And that involves getting you home alive, safe, and happy. It’s the least I can do.**

 

Niko clutched her bag to her chest, wrapping her arms around it closely. A memory of hugging her mother entered her head and she pushed it away. She had more important things to focus on. 

 

 **Sorry.** John said apologetically. **Here we are arguing over possible deaths, and we don’t even know how far back in time we ended up. It’s possible we’ve even arrived before the Endbringers, which means we can nip that particular thorn in the bud.**

 

 _Really? I heard a we in that statement!_ Niko cheered. 

 

 **Not so fast, I’ll handle Cauldron. Alone.** John cautioned. **Once you’re safely offworld. I trust that they’re looking out for the ‘greater good’ but that doesn’t make them honorable or kind or soft. They’ve proven that they’ll do anything if it helps more people survive. You can understand why I don’t want you anywhere near them, don’t you?**

 

Niko got it. She really did understand his protective motivation, how he was determined not to lose her again. And she was pretty sure that he understood that with knowledge of the tragic future came the responsibility to at least try to tell someone. 

 

There would be some sort of plan, he always had one if you gave him so much as a minute to himself and a problem to solve. But he couldn’t tell what time in the

 

There were several ways she could solve this problem, by looking at the calendar or the newspaper. But as she opened the bathroom door, Niko knew in the depths of her soul that there was only one real option for her to take. 

 

“Sorry to bother you guys, but what year is it?” She asked, clearly and distinctly, trying to fight a smile off her face as she saw the Major’s stare and Wraith physically recoil. 

 

 **No. You did not just do that.**  

 

 _I’ve always wanted to say that!_ She cheered internally. 

 

**So did I! You stole my joke!**

 

The Major began to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he threw his head back. Wraith and Niko stared at him almost nervously, his actions at complete odds with his usual attitude. “You serious?” 

 

Niko nodded vigorously. The Major placed his hand over his face, letting it slide down as gravity seemed to overcome his will to live. “It’s 1991. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” 

 

“Goodnight!” she said as she lay down inside her sleeping bag, making sure her pillow was plumped properly. “Goodnight.” came Wraith’s voice as he walked into the kitchen, turning off the light there. The Major grunted, closing the bedroom door behind him with a loud thud. 

 

And then there was silence. 


	10. Chapter 10

As Niko did her best to lie comfortably on the lumpy cushions, the sounds of the city at night became clearly evident to her now uncovered ears. Without the distraction of conversation and without the muffling effect of her hat, it was easy to hear the distant sounds of laughter from down the hallway. Someone was probably having a dinner party. 

 

The soft wooshes of cars passing by intermittently along the street was faint but still recognizable. A horn beeped, sending the sound echoing off the apartment buildings and up into the night sky. 

 

And the rest of the sounds of the city continued unabated in the further distance, hundreds of people and machines and technology. They were uncountable, overlapping each other to create a background noise something like static. 

 

A few months ago Niko wouldn’t have been able to sleep here. At home in her bed, surrounded by miles of wheat fields, it was so quiet that every squeak of the floorboards practically echoed. 

 

But over the past eight months, she’d slept in all kinds of places and situations out of necessity and desperation. Before she’d gotten the tent, sleeping outside on the cold ground hadn’t been pleasant at all. She’d only gotten a couple hours of sleep there, waking up early from the cold. Lighting a fire with numb fingers was an experience she was glad to never repeat. 

 

So even though the couch was lumpy and things weren’t as quiet as she would have liked, she was confident she could manage. Niko checked that her knapsack was still next the couch and smiled. Tomorrow morning, she’d be ready for whatever the world would throw at her. 

 

John was quiet, probably working at something on his computer. Under normal circumstances, the connection between them would be barely noticeable. But in the darkness and quiet, the mental link almost shone like a star. 

 

Early on, once she realized how long it would take her to get back home, he’d read her bedtime stories like her mother once had. For as long as she could remember, he’d still been awake when she went to sleep and woke her up in the morning. 

 

Considering that the others had said the wake-up call would come at six, she knew John had already set an alarm for her. And he knew that she knew. 

 

_John?_ She asked, ‘pushing’ her thoughts out into the darkness with the faith that her partner would hear her. _Aren’t you going to get some sleep?_ If she was this tired already, she didn’t want to think about how he must be feeling right now.

 

**I’m managing just fine, Niko. You know how I get my second wind around nine…** He said casually, almost like he was trying to make a sort of joke. But the connection belied his exhaustion, and she knew him well enough to read the ragged edges of his words. 

 

Her eyes narrowed. _What are you doing? If you don’t get to bed you’ll regret it tomorrow morning!_ The accusation that she’d need his help in an unfamiliar situation went unsaid, clear to both of them already. 

 

**Sleep is for the weak.** John said, managing to pull off a joking tone far better this time. **I’m looking up everything I can find on capes and the end of the world..**

 

Niko closed her eyes, the lumpy couch and sounds of the city already forgotten. _Just be sure to get to sleep quickly. We’ve got a big day tomorrow, after all!_

 

John smiled- expressed as an emotion rather than an image. **Good night, Niko. I’ll get to bed in a bit here.**

 

_Good night, John._ She smiled back. Even though he was nowhere nearby and couldn’t see it, the intent would not be lost on him. _We can do this._

 

-

 

Wraith had decided on using three of the blankets as a makeshift mattress and the fourth as an actual blanket. While it wasn’t particularly soft or comfortable, it wasn’t as lumpy as the couch was. At least it had that going for it. 

 

The ticking of the clock and the light from the oven’s display were distracting him, considering that he never noticed them from his usual position in the living room. As his eyes adjusted, he could see the ragged forms of the papers pinned to the wall to his left. Briefly, Wraith wondered if the overloaded corkboards would break free from the wall and smother him beneath a mountain of paperwork. 

 

He moved his bedding to the other side of the kitchen. 

 

The aging fridge next to him was more grey than white by now. In a happier household, it might have been covered by the crayon drawings of children. Instead it was overflow parking for paperwork from the Wall that the Major needed to access particularly often. 

 

The sink dripped intermittently, probably the fault of the aging faucet. The sound of the drop of water hitting the metal sink left a surprisingly loud clicking sound. Wraith growled and pulled his hood up over his eyes.

 

_It’s funny how things have changed._ He thought reflectively, remembering how he was afraid of the dark and couldn’t sleep with a nightlight when he was young. As he grew older, the opposite became a problem, as even a small amount of light made it difficult for him to sleep. 

 

Then, of course, his younger brother refused to sleep without a nightlight. After a long argument, Wraith had caved first and shelled out a small portion of his sizable allowance for a blindfold. 

 

_Yep, those were the days._ Wraith thought, lying back and staring at the unmoving ceiling fan. _Back when I had my own bed and my own room, and my own family._ He sighed. _Back when I was nobody. Back before I disappeared._

 

He shook his head angrily to clear the offending thoughts of depression from it, focusing on the here and now. More specifically, what would likely happen tomorrow. Records work wasn’t terrible, just mind-grindingly boring. There were hours of tape recordings to go through, detailed notes to take, connections to be made and added to the Wall…  
  


Wraith hated the damn thing and its endless sheaves of paper that only the Major seemed to know how to navigate. Trying to find the right place to put something was often more work than getting that information in the first place. 

 

Sure, he understood the tactical advantage of information. It was one of the reasons why their little squad had been so successful so far. But there had to be an easier way to sort and access this stuff- and there had to be a better way for more people to use it. The whole reason the Major started the wall in the first place was because they weren’t able to access the police records, so they’d needed to make their own equivalent. 

 

Wraith was certain that the cops had info that the Wall didn’t have, and vice versa. It was obvious to him that if they both could share information and work together they’d catch more criminals faster, but the main obstacle was that cops didn’t trust capes. That might be a reasonable response to vigilante justice, but the Major and Wraith suspected that the cops were frustrated with capes taking down criminals that they couldn’t touch. 

 

A few months ago, a cop somewhere in California had gotten into trouble after an incredible string of arrests and close calls. Testing had proven that he was a cape, and he’d been dismissed from the force. The public had heard that he was guilty of using excessive force, and the story had passed from mainstream attention quickly. 

 

But to the cape community, the incident was a sign of bias against capes, regardless of how many criminals they pulled in or how closely they worked within the law. The divide between would-be heroes and appointed public defenders had widened, and people on both sides spent their time and energy slinging hatred back and forth instead of fighting their common enemy

 

_What a bunch of shit…_ Wraith thought as his eyes closed. _What’s it gonna take to get people working together?_

 

-

 

The Major closed the bedroom door behind him, eyes roaming over the room and finding it empty of intruders. The decoration could best be described as austere, with short white carpet and a small dresser along one of the walls. 

 

Other than the short, nondescript brown nightstand by the bed, there was no other furniture. The Major crossed the room, his footfalls incredibly quiet despite his combat boots, and with a singular motion he threw the closet door open, revealing ten identical outfits hanging, starched, ironed, and spotless. 

 

The box on the closet floor was divided into two sections. One half contained another pair of combat boots and a glistening black pair of dress shoes. The other half was filled to overflowing with high explosives, all illegally purchased on the black market to avoid wait times and the possibility of being tracked. 

 

The Major had received basic explosives training back in Delta Force. Supplementary materials from the same buyer he’d bought the C4 and detonator from had given him the rest of the knowledge he needed. But he still felt relief that he hadn’t needed to use any of it yet. 

 

His squad- despite the fact that they were only two other people under his tenuous command without military training or discipline, he couldn’t help but think of them as being his squad- had done quite well for themselves over the last half a year. His tactical information was much easier to put into practice, and the area that they could patrol had increased significantly. 

 

Over fifty unpowered criminals captured, restrained, and left on Brockton PD’s front doorstep. With Blitz’s actions earlier today, that was another twenty of Galvanate’s powered up enforcers dealt with. They weren’t going to walk any time soon- literally, considering their brutal injuries and broken limbs.

 

The Major had been tempted to lecture the man on excessive force, but considering the superhuman durability of his opponents and their lethal electric touch, it had made sense to put them down hard to avoid anyone else being hurt. Thankfully, Blitz had greater restraint when fighting against baseline humans, even if he did like complaining about it. 

 

Roughly seventy criminals captured, no fights lost, no serious injuries to anyone on their team, and no deaths that he knew of. The Major considered those damn fine scores, a record his old squad would have killed to have. Sure, their powers helped make their accomplishments, but the dedication to non-lethality was a personal issue. 

 

He’d had his fill of killing, especially when based on someone’s orders. Just another in the long list of reasons why he’d left the Army several years back. As an independent hero, he was working to protect the innocent by stopping the criminal, and the methods and principles he lived by were his and his alone. 

 

And his principles were not to kill, if at all possible. The Major understood that sometimes it came down to innocent versus guilty lives, and that was a choice he was willing to make in a heartbeat. But he refused to be pushed into false equivalency again, not when he had plans and teammates and less-lethal bullets and superpowers at his disposal. 

 

_There’s always a choice._ His philosophy, described in a sentence. _Sometimes you might not be prepared to act on it, sometimes you might not be strong enough, and sometimes you might be too blind to see it. That is no excuse not to make the best possible decision for the situation you’re in._

 

He was proud of his team’s ability, and frankly a lot of that was due to their powers. His anti-gravity disoriented even well-trained and armed fighters, leaving them open to Blitz who could literally stomp them into the concrete without killing them. Wraith’s skill at infiltration and information gathering was invaluable in letting them choose when and where they faced their enemies. 

 

Any mission where anyone was killed would be a failure in his eyes. It was far better for it to be someone who arguably deserved it, but the Major had seen too much of the world and humanity to believe that anyone was truly useless.

 

Former enemies had become tomorrow's allies, broken men had revealed inner wells of hidden strength, and a remorseless killer had dedicated the rest of his life to atoning for his sins. _Everyone has a choice._ And that was why he strived so hard not to kill, because he was in no position to judge.

 

The fantasy of being judge, jury, and executioner held no attraction to him. When everything had gone to hell during his service, he had already played that role and found it particularly distasteful. There had been no gratification or exhilaration in holding another’s life in his hands, only a sick sense of certainty that hadn’t grown any easier, no matter how many times it had happened. 

 

When he’d put his gun down, all he’d felt was a heady feeling of freedom which he still hadn’t been able to shake. Freedom from the hell that island had become, freedom from his command over the squad, freedom from making the decisions that had let unarmed medical students be massacred. 

 

He’d become a hero, founded his team, and established his principles. And despite all that, he still felt a sense of foreboding sweep over him as he reflected on their incredible progress so far. It seemed too much like they were due for some kind of disaster any day now, like fate itself was sick of their accomplishments and had some kind of retribution ready for them.

 

That was the way the world worked. The more you proved your strength, the greater challenges you were expected to face. Another reason he’d left the service, only now the same thing would probably face them once again as they became more notorious. Once the bigger villains saw them as a competent threat, they would be specifically targeted. 

 

The Major pulled the grey-green bedspread apart, leaving its firm tension (tight enough to bounce a quarter off of it, like he’d learned in basic) broken and rumpled. He removed his boots slowly and methodically, his mind a million miles away even though the subject of his thoughts was already asleep in his living room. 

 

Niko was an enigma appearing to be a young girl, who had done several things that were best explained by powers. However, she claimed not to be a cape, and his experience in reading people indicated she was telling the truth. Or that she thought she was. 

 

The possibility of capes controlling others had gripped the public with fear, after reports of a man using ordinary people as flunkies to build his own crime ring. While his thralls were easily captured in their dazed state, he could always find more to replace them. As far as anyone knew, he still hadn’t been ID’d or caught. 

 

But outside of the possibility of a controlling cape, Niko seemed genuine in her conversation and friendly demeanor. Of course that raised the question of where she’d come from, how her bag violated the laws of physics, and what exactly she’d meant by her friend who was to pick her up.

 

While she hadn’t lied, strictly speaking, the Major had gotten the feeling that she wasn’t telling him the whole truth. And that made sense considering that he was doing the same thing. He wanted to know how she did what she did without powers- or at least, powers as they knew them.

 

The Major was fairly certain that she wouldn’t betray them. He turned off the bedside lamp and lay back into his bed, mind still active. Keeping an eye on her seemed like a good idea, especially because he wasn’t sure of the trustworthiness of the ‘friend’ she mentioned. 

 

Considering her rather unique circumstances and strange powers, they might be finding themselves in over their heads by trying to follow her. The thought was a strange one to him considering his own powers, but it didn’t matter how strong of a cape you were if you failed to properly prepare and underestimated your enemy.

 

But that wasn’t going to stop him, because the bay was his hometown. He’d watched as gang signs and street violence had increased. Regardless of her blue hair and cat ears and strange powers, he’d be damned before he let a little girl walk into a trap in the city he’d sworn to protect. If this ‘friend’ was trustworthy, then there wouldn’t be any problems. And if he wasn’t, well… 

 

But that was a problem best approached tomorrow. He had an early patrol tomorrow morning, so he pulled his covers up to his chin and removed his bandanna. Sleeping in full clothing and armor hadn’t been easy for him at first. After another soldier had gotten killed in his sleep by shrapnel, it had gotten much easier.

 

The Major checked his holster to see that it was unbuttoned. In addition to his pistol at his side, he had another 1911 under his pillow, yet another under the bed, and one inside the closet. Some might call it paranoia, but was it really paranoia if he did have the very real threat of being attacked in his sleep? 

 

By strict definition, it probably still was paranoia to do so, but that thought failed to cross his mind as he was already drifting off into a daze. 

 

The cool, air conditioned air seemed to change to something hot and muggy, the smell of rotting plants and smoke drifting through the air. Instead of the comfortable mattress, he shifted uncomfortably on the canvas of a cheap army cot. In the distance, the sounds of shouting and gunfire could be heard. Faintly, almost like they were coming from another world entirely. 

 

_Grenada. Always dreams of Grenada…_

 

-

 

Blitz pulled his car into his driveway with a sigh of relief. Even though it was only a short drive from the Major’s apartment to his house, he’d been struggling to keep his eyes open the whole way back. _Guess I’m more tired than I thought from stomping those guys earlier…_

 

He had almost closed the car door before he remembered his keys, opened the door with a sigh, and grabbed the pizza too for good measure. At least he’d already eaten some earlier, because right now he didn’t think he could finish a slice without falling asleep. 

 

The front door was unlocked, which snapped him back to some sort of sobriety. Removing his helmet and leaving it on the kitchen counter, he locked the door behind him and did a quick search. Finding nothing out of place, he went to the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind him as he removed his costume. 

 

It was such a relief to be able to breathe again, free from the confines of the stylish and protective but incredibly hot leather costume. Blitz breathed a sigh of relief before noticing he was still holding the pizza absentmindedly. With a grunt of frustration and exhaustion, he threw it in the fridge unceremoniously. 

 

_Should make for a quick breakfast tomorrow morning._ After all, he had the early shift at work to look forward to- on only six hours of sleep at the most. There was no time to waste. Returning once again to the bedroom door, he found it already closed and the light off. 

 

He opened the door slowly and quietly, peeking through to see the sleeping form of Julia, alone and surrounded by covers. Letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, Blitz padded across to the king sized bed, looking over her. 

 

_Sorry I was late- things took a little longer than expected._ He wanted to say, but waking her up would just make her angry at him. As it was, he could probably expect a lecture tomorrow morning for working late without calling her- but with everything else that he had on his plate there just wasn’t time for him to call whenever something came up. 

 

She’d suggested he get one of those cell phones, he remembered. The only problem he had with the suggestion was how he was already spending his cut of the money on the house’s rent, and the sizable investment for the phone would put him deeply into debt. 

 

While he could try asking the Major for more money- which he knew they had, corporate espionage paid well- that would just lead to him staring down someone even scarier than Julia. The Major would say that their profits all should go back into heroing and if he wanted to buy a phone he should use his own damn money.

 

Once again, no matter what he did it seemed like he pissed somebody off. While it wasn’t a new situation for him, Blitz still had a bad taste in his mouth. His day job didn’t provide much money at all, especially compared to the profits he made as a hero.

 

The bundles of cash from a drughouse they’d raided had been unexpectedly attractive to him. Just one of those, tucked away quietly and he’d be able to buy a new phone easily. Maybe even a new stove because one of the burners wasn’t working. 

 

But he’d resisted the temptation out of common sense. It was drug money, spending it would just paint a giant target on his head, which was the last thing any of them wanted. So far they’d avoided investigation for their technically illegal vigilante activities, the cops likely looking the other way. 

 

Blitz may have focused more of his work on his body than on his mind, but he was far from an idiot. He knew that as soon as they slipped up at all, the police would be all over them, their anti-cape bias confirmed. And so he’d left the cash there, even though the injustice of it all made his blood boil. 

 

Three of them working alone had caught more criminals in six months than the entire police department had in the last year. Sure, he could see how they would be frustrated, that still didn’t make the lack of public appreciation any less infuriating.

 

He stiffened at the sensation of a hand on his side before he realized it was Julia, unconsciously reaching out to him in his sleep. Returning her embrace and letting go of his frustrations, he closed his eyes. 


	11. Chapter 11

The sun filtering in through the windows made Wraith open his eyes, blinking furiously against the unwanted intrusion. Pulling the covers over his head with a grumble proved to only be a momentary respite, as the oven’s alarm started to whine shortly afterwards. 

 

“Alright, alright, sheesh!” he complained, rolling out from under the covers and facefirst onto the kitchen floor. He took a moment to savor the coolness against his face-

**BWWWWORRRGGGHHH**

Before the horn of some huge cargo ship in the harbor rudely reminded him that he was wasting time. With a grunt, he mustered the energy to lift himself to his knees and to his feet. 

 

First order of business was shutting off that damn alarm. He did so on unsteady feet, still wiping sleep from his eyes. The second was to kick his makeshift bedding to the far end of the kitchen. He’d take care of it later, because his third order of business was to make himself some breakfast. 

 

Wraith paused with hand on the fridge door, just awake enough to notice the note in blocky handwriting taped there.

 

Patrolling Sector D until 1130 Hours. Passcode is ‘I’m so hip, I could rap like a Nightingale.’ 

 

With one swift and practiced motion, he ripped the note off, crumpled it up and slam dunked it into the garbage can with a vague sense of satisfaction. Sure, he’d never try that kind of crap while the Major was present, but it did do wonders for helping him cope with the endless stream of orders and mind-numbingly stupid passcodes. 

 

And speaking of orders, it looked like he was on shit duty for the next five and a half hours. Transcribing tape recordings was mind-numbingly tedious at the best of times, requiring just enough concentration and effort to prevent you from slipping into a drowsy, half-awake rhythm. At least it didn’t take actual thought ninety percent of the time. 

 

Wraith was not looking forward to this morning at all. Especially considering he now had Niko, the adorable little outside context problem to look after/spy on in addition to his usual work. Tightening his grip on the refrigerator door, he flung it open with gusto.

 

_ Even if everything’s set against me, I refuse to give in! First I’m going to make some breakfast, then I’m going to transcribe those tapes, then I’ll get to go out and spy on people again! _

 

His enthusiastic pep talk was cut off by an intruding voice. 

 

“You’re letting all the cold out!” Niko said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen and looking far more enthusiastic and energetic than she had any right to be at this godforsaken early hour of the morning. 

 

Wraith realized that he’d been staring blankly into the fridge for several seconds, and threw his hood over his head with a growl of frustration.  _ Eggs, shredded cheese, chopped onion, bread…  _ He checked off each ingredient on a mental checklist as he grabbed them from the fridge, dumping them unceremoniously on the counter. A fried egg sandwich wasn’t much of a nutritional masterpiece, or a culinary one for that matter. But it was tasty, filling, easy to make, and had lots of protein. 

 

“You’re making breakfast?” Niko said, hefting her bag up onto the counter as she looked quizzically in his direction. 

 

Wraith closed the fridge door with a bump of his hip, removing a frying pan from the cupboard as he turned to Niko. “Yes, I am, and no, I’m not cooking for both of us. Just because I’ve got to watch you doesn’t make me your butler.”

 

Niko took a carton of eggs out of her bag. “That’s funny, I was just about to offer you some eggs! I’ve got plenty right here-”

 

Wraith began laughing. It started as a chuckle, progressed onwards to a full laugh, and degenerated to the point where his eyes watered and he was nearly bent over double. He was aware of the ‘what are you doing stare’ Niko was giving him, but he couldn’t find it in him to care. Maybe he was still exhausted, warping his sense of humor. 

 

Still laughing, he withdrew a second frying pan and handed it to Niko, handle outstretched. She wordlessly withdrew a cast iron skillet from her bag, gazing back into his eyes with defiance.  _ Of course she’s got one of those. Everything but the damn kitchen sink… And I wouldn’t put it past her to have that too! _

 

“Nope.” Wraith said, turning to the stove as he slammed the spare frying pan down with a clunk. “It’s too early in the morning for a standoff over eggs. I’ll make my own food and you make yours, and everything will be sunshine and roses.” What went unsaid was his internal wish for  _ things to start making sense again. _

 

Niko pouted, but started producing the rest of her ingredients as Wraith added the butter to the frying pan. And she continued doing so until half the counter was covered with fresh vegetables.. Wraith blinked, decided it wasn’t worth his time to ask, and whipped out the onion to fry it along with the eggs. He finished chopping the onion, dumping it into his pan with a sizzling noise. 

 

Niko continued to sort out her veggies into carefully organized piles. 

 

Wraith added the eggs, flipping them and placing the cheese on top so it could melt. 

 

Niko began greasing her pan carefully and chopping the veggies. 

 

Four slices of bread and thick squirts of mustard later, Wraith had finished his breakfast and was eating on the couch. The TV was droning its way through the early morning news, reporting on yet more signs of suspected cape violence. Wraith rolled his eyes and fumbled to change the remote to the cartoons.

 

The news had quickly lost the tiny amount of interest it had held for him in the first place once he became a cape. His main concern- cape activity- either went without accurate coverage or was horrifically biased. The Major, during his very occasional breaks from information gathering, loved to viciously tear into the news’s inaccuracies.

 

Honestly, the whole thing just showed the division between capes and normies. The news wouldn’t shut up about capes, how scary they were, what devious things they could be up to, because fear sold. And controversy sold even better.

 

Wraith was frustrated by the inequality and discrimination, but at least he had it far better off than most other capes. Even without the terror that normies had about offending some random cape or becoming an unfortunate bystander-turned-statistic, his power made it incredibly difficult to hold a relationship down. It’s hard to care about someone if you can’t remember them, after all. And it’s only slightly less hard to care about someone when they keep forgetting you.

 

Without a civilian identity (or at least one that anyone remembered) all he stood to lose was his own life. And as long as he was smart with his power, he figured he could live for a damn long time. Granted, he could definitely last longer if he stayed out of the fighting, but… 

 

_ It’s all about making the best of a shitty situation. My power lets me do stuff, I do that stuff. I help people.  _ It was a simple creed, one that fit their little squad as a whole. The Major had described something similar when he’d given him his recruitment speech. He’d been promised an opportunity to make the city a better place. To fight back and learn the truth about the real evils society faced. 

 

And he’d wanted to protect his family. Family that he hadn’t seen in months. Hadn’t talked to in even more months. They hadn’t recognized him for almost a year now, since everything began-

 

And his angsty flashback was promptly cut off by one of the most wonderful smells imaginable reaching his nostrils from the kitchen. A drop of saliva involuntarily dangled from the corner of his mouth as he sighed deeply, feeling all his troubles melt away-

 

“GAAAH!” he shouted, snapping himself back to awareness as he dove off the couch and into the kitchen. 

 

“Are you okay?” Niko asked, turning from the steaming dish atop the stove with a concerned expression. “What’s wrong?” 

 

Prying himself off the floor, Wraith got a good look at what Niko had been cooking which was apparently the source of the smell. A perfectly browned omelet sat atop a large white plate, garnished artfully with cilantro, tomato, and what looked to be a side of tartar sauce. It was an image straight out of a cookbook, but that image couldn’t convey the smell. 

 

It was a beautiful, almost overwhelmingly rich and detailed smell that almost made his head spin. Instead of any dominating spice standing out, it all seemed to blend together, almost as if it had been specifically engineered to smell as perfectly as humanly possible. Either Niko was somehow a world class chef, or her true superpower let her cheat at cooking. 

 

“How?” Wraith croaked, struggling to breathe normally because of the urge to just start inhaling the smell in and never stop. “How did you make-” he gestured violently toward the omelet, “this in just twenty minutes!” 

 

“Really? It’s been that long?” Niko asked innocently. 

 

Wraith gave her an unimpressed look. “You said last night that you aren’t a cape, despite your teleportation, your cat ears and your magic bag of holding. Just so you know, your cooking isn’t helping your case at all.” 

 

“Wellllll, it’s not that I’m good at cooking.” Niko hedged, extending the ‘l’ in ‘well’ to frankly absurd lengths. “I’m just following a recipe from a friend, it’s no big deal.” 

 

“No big deal?” Wraith said incredulously. “Who’s your friend, Jacques Pepin?”

 

“Who?” Niko asked. “Sorry, but-” 

 

“You’re not from around here, yeah yeah, heard it already.” Wraith grumbled, dropping himself into the kitchen chair in a huff.  _ Just when I think I’ve got a handle on her, she’s off in a completely different direction…  _

 

“Wow, this is quite a bit bigger than what I was expecting…” Niko said, poking at the omelet with her fork curiously. “Are you sure you don’t want any, Wraith?” 

 

_ No! Must… resist… perfect cooking!  _ “M-maybe later.” he said, pulling the tape recorder across the kitchen table to him. “I’ve got some work to do. A lot of work, actually. Just stick the leftovers in the fridge and I’ll get to them when I’m hungry again.” 

 

“Okay.” Niko said, picking up the plate and disappearing into the living room. She poked her head back through a moment later. “Oh yeah, when’s the Major coming back?” 

 

“11:30.” Wraith said without lifting his eyes from the transcript. “Blitz’ll probably take you around town to see the sights, that kind of stuff. Don’t leave the apartment until then, okay?”

 

“Okay.” 


	12. Chapter 12

Son of a-! You two didn’t even fix the damn toilet? Why the hell… 

 

Wraith adjusted the uncomfortable rubber headphones with a sigh of frustration.  _ Okay, that’s enough about the mafia’s toilet problems. I think it’s high time I took a break.  _ Pausing the tape player, he removed the headphones and stretched out his cramped writing hand. 

 

Most of the recordings taken from various criminal hideouts he had to transcribe were just empty noise. Even when someone had an actual conversation, it was usually just small talk or petty grievances.  _ If I have to write about more plumbing problems, I think I’m going to scream.  _ Wraith grumbled internally, stretching his arms to work out the kinks.

 

There was a slight chance that an ordinary conversation was in code, or contained some hidden vulnerability, but honestly speaking, most of his time transcribing was being wasted. On the very rare occasion he got to write down something of actual tactical importance, transcribing was actually pretty interesting. Once the finding was confirmed, The Major would stick it up on the Wall, and if they were really lucky they’d get to act on it. 

 

But for every piece of useful information, there were hours and hours of empty tape and pointless drivel. It was almost enough to drive a man to insanity. Wraith looked over the legal pad filled with completely ordinary conversations with frustration.  _ Well, if we ever have an opportunity to screw with the Mafia’s toilets, we’ll know exactly where to strike.  _

 

“If you want to take a break, I can take over for a while.” Niko said, snapping Wraith’s attention from his internal grumbling.  _ Whoa! How long’s she been sitting there? _ Seated at the other side of the table, the catgirl had been examining the thick stack of previously written transcripts. She was so short that her legs were unable to reach the ground, leaving her to kick them back and forth freely.

 

“How long do you spend writing these?” she asked, looking at the huge stack of tapes in the  To Transcribe pile. 

 

“It’s not just me that writes them. All of us spend all our spare time with them.” Wraith said with a shrug. “Of course the Major does the least, but then again he’s got the Wall to worry about… I’d say that his job’s way harder.” 

 

“Like I said, I can help out for a little while…” Niko said, one hand reaching out towards the headphones. 

 

“Hey, hey!” Wraith said, snatching them out of her reach. “While I can’t say I wouldn’t appreciate a longer break, there’s no way I’m letting you throw your life away at such a young age. You’ve still got your whole future ahead of you.”

 

“Thow my life away?” Niko tilted her head quizzically. “But you’ve been at it for almost two hours and you aren’t dead…” 

 

“Trust me, Niko.” Wraith sighed as he replaced the headphones on his ears and readied his pencil. “Even though you can’t see it, I’m dead on the inside right now. Until at least half this box gets finished, I’m stuck here.”

 

He continued playing where he’d left off, taking down more vapid and most likely pointless notes. Niko continued to sit at the other end of the table, large golden eyes staring curiously. “You do realize that what I’m doing is horribly boring, right?”

 

“Just wondering what kind of spy stuff you do when you’re not doing… this.” Niko asked. “You do spy on people, right? Cause you go invisible and stuff…”

 

“You’re not wrong.” Wraith said, pausing the tape recorder. “It’s mostly running all around the city after various leads, or spending hours and hours waiting for the right moment. No gunfights or car chases- I only deal with information. Sometimes I spend hours following people to see who they meet with or where their hideouts are. I also set up the tape recorders in ‘strategic’ locations, and I take a whole bunch of pictures.” He gestured to the camera hanging from a hook with one hand as he replaced the tape with another. 

 

“Blitz knows a guy at the photo lab.” he continued. “These aren’t exactly the kinds of photos you can develop at the pharmacy. Not unless you want the police knocking on your door late at night.”

 

“That’s another thing I don’t get. If you’re hunting down criminals, why aren’t you working with the police?” Niko glanced over to the Wall, thick with sheer volume of paper. “I’m sure they’d be happy to-”

 

“First problem with that is we’re breaking the law.” Wraith interrupted. “Vigilante justice is still illegal. And the cops don’t like capes at all. Doesn’t matter if you’re a hero or villain, they’ll only trust you as far as they can throw you.” 

 

“That’s dumb.” Niko said. “How’re you supposed to get anything done if you’ve got to hide like this?”

 

“It does make things a lot harder… But it can’t be helped.” Wraith sighed. “Normies are terrified of capes. It’s not unjustified, there’ve been plenty of incidents, especially early on before everyone got used to things. The media bias against us every time some cape does anything vaguely menacing doesn’t help either.”

 

Niko leaned back in her chair, looking up to the ceiling as if for advice. “Aren’t people grateful when you save their lives? When you protect them?”

 

“My power isn’t so good at doing that…” Wraith admitted reluctantly. “I’m not super fast, durable, or strong. Even if I’m in the right place at the right time, there’s only so much I can do. And the couple of times that I did help someone, they were so afraid they could barely stammer out a thank you. Afraid of me.” 

 

“Did you ever think that the black cloak and shadowy hood might have something to do with that?” Niko said teasingly. 

 

“Haha, very funny.” Wraith groused. “Sure that’s probably part of it, but even if we wore bright yellow spandex and had powers straight out of the comic books people would still be afraid. It’s just the natural reaction people have to something they don’t understand. That they can’t understand.” 

 

“Well, maybe you could try explaining it, then?” Niko said. Wraith shot her a questioning glance. “What it’s like to be a cape, I mean. Even if they won’t understand all of it, maybe they won’t feel so afraid once they realize what a huge dork you are.” 

 

“I take offense to that, you know.” Wraith chuckled.  _ That one was actually pretty funny.  _ “How about we make a deal? Quid pro quo, tit for tat. I explain what it’s like to be a cape, and you tell me how you managed to teleport here without powers.” 

 

Niko almost seemed to shrink into herself, tapping her index fingers together. “Is that really what you want to know about?” she asked quietly.

 

Wraith slumped backwards, no longer able to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry if it’s too personal or secret for you to want to talk about… but asking what it’s like to be a cape’s pretty personal too.”

 

Turning back to his guest, he did his best to focus his thoughts. “Everything that I’ve went through, all my hopes and dreams- that’s what makes me Wraith. If you asked the Major or Blitz, their answers would be very different. Not to pressure you or anything, but my whole life changed when I put on this hood.” 

 

Niko slammed her hands down on the table, the indecision in her eyes replaced with determination. “Okay then. We’ll both promise to be completely honest with each other from here on!” 

 

“Wait, who said anything about that?” Wraith spluttered. “Where’s this coming from!” 

 

“Well, you sorta implied that you’d be telling me the truth when you offered the deal… Unless you were planning on lying the whole time?” Niko said, eyes narrowed. 

 

“I wasn’t planning on lying!” Wraith almost shouted before he caught himself. “Sorry.”

 

“That’s fine.” Niko said, sitting back down. “I might have been exaggerating a little bit- but I do think we can get a lot more done if we talk and work together.”

 

_ She’s interested in working together?  _ Wraith grimaced internally. “Wait, I thought you said you were leaving in a few days? Something about finally heading home?” 

 

“No, no, that’s still happening!” Niko said with a nervous chuckle. “I’m planning on coming back later to visit people, and it’s always nice to have more friends, you know?” 

 

Normally Wraith would have called Niko out on her evasiveness and vaguely wording, but his brain was still stuck on one particular aspect of what she’d said. Mainly, the fact that she wanted to be friends with him. 

 

_ Wow. You literally could not have picked a worse person to be friends with, Niko.  _ He thought with bemusement. Briefly, he considered telling her about the true nature of his power, and how she’d just be wasting her time trying to know him.

 

But his consideration was brief.  _ Whatever.  _ He thought to himself, mustering all his passive aggressive teenage power.  _ Screw it. Major told me to find out more about her if I could, I’m honestly interested in knowing what the hell’s going on with her, and anything’s better than more transcribing.  _

 

So when Wraith smiled widely and accepted Niko’s offer, it was genuine and guileless. “Alright then, let’s start over. Hi there, I’m Wraith. Real name; Charles Jenkins.” He extended his hand for a handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Niko beamed, taking his hand and pumping it enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you! I’m Niko.”

 

“If we’re going to be working together, you really should think up a cape name for yourself.” Wraith said. “Otherwise, the Major will think of one for you- and it’ll have about an 80% chance of being incredibly lame.” 

 

“We can worry about names later…” Niko said, trying to keep from bouncing impatiently. “You promised to tell me what being a cape’s like!”

 

“Fine, fine.” Wraith groused.  _ Hopefully she won’t me mind skipping some of the more… personal details.  _ “Just as long as you’re willing to explain what the he… heck’s going on with your everything.” 

 

“My… everything?” Niko asked with a confused expression. 

 

_ Please don’t tell me she’s too innocent to understand how weird she seems…  _ Wraith thought with a groan. 

 

“Nevermind, I get it-The teleportation, and the bag, and… Yeah, I see what you mean.” Niko said sheepishly. “It’s kinda a long story?” 

 

“Clearly.” Wraith deadpanned. “We’ve got plenty of time and nothing better to do. Let’s get down to it.” The young cape leaned back in his chair, lost in thought about the best way to begin. “I’ll go first, as long as you don’t mind?”

 

Niko nodded eagerly.

 

“Right.” Wraith began to tap his pen against the table absentmindedly. “No one knows for sure how capes get powers. After Scion appeared, capes started popping up all over the world.”

 

“Scion?” Niko asked. 

 

“The first cape.” Wraith clarified. “The golden man. They found him floating over the ocean, just… waiting for something. He can fly faster than the speed of sound, control heat and cold, move objects with his mind, the whole nine yards. If you can think of a superpower, he’s probably got it. He’s been stopping disasters and saving people for almost ten years now, nonstop.”

 

Niko leaned forward in her chair, her interest clearly piqued. “What else do you know about him?”

 

“Honestly, not much.” Wraith sighed. “People have tried all kinds of things to get his attention, but he barely even reacts. We only know his name because a reporter asked- and it’s the only thing he’s ever said. Does he have anything to do with other capes? Probably. Do we know what or how? No.”

 

“So how do superpowers work?” Niko asked. “I’ve seen you guys use them, but what’s it like to be invisible?” 

 

“That’s… a hard one to describe.” Wraith muttered. “From what I’ve learned from other capes, it’s different for every person. You aren’t born with powers or anything, you just get them and know how to use them. But for me… It’s a lot like a light switch.” 

 

“A light switch?” Niko said.

 

“Yeah. It’s either on, where I’m completely unnoticeable by other people, or it’s off, and I’m just like everyone else.” Wraith rested his elbows on the table, hands clasped. “Just like a light switch, it’s either on or off. No matter how hard you try to make it stay in between, it doesn’t work like that. I can’t just be sorta grey or unnoticeable, it’s all or nothing.”

 

Wraith glanced down at the table. “It’s honestly… really strange. Sorta like a dream, almost. I can jump up and down, or scream at the top of my lungs, and they won’t know I’m there. They’ll react if I hit them, they’ll know something’s going on. But they see right through me. It’s taken some getting used to. At least the shakes aren’t as bad as they used to be.”

 

“Shakes?” Niko looked concerned. “That doesn’t sound good…” 

 

“Trust me. They aren’t.” Wraith said bitterly. “That’s one way where my powers aren’t like a light switch- a light switch doesn’t make you itch if you don’t use it for too long. It’s almost like-” he mimed a large circle in the air with his hands. “Like my natural state is to have my powers active. The longer I have it turned off, the worse it gets.” 

 

“Are you…” Niko, face filled with concern, struggled to think of what word should come next. 

 

“After a few hours, it starts. It’s almost like a mosquito buzzing in your ear, an itch that you just can’t scratch.” Wraith continued, eyes unfocused. “After about a day, your arms and legs start twitching infrequently. Almost like you’re grasping for something that isn’t there. The next morning you break out in a cold sweat and your vision swims. It just keeps getting worse and worse until you use your power again.”

 

Now it was Niko’s turn to avert her gaze, staring down at the table as Wraith continued. “I’m sorry.” she said, even though she had nothing to be sorry for.

 

“My family rushed me to the doctor.” Wraith said, kicking his chair back and standing up. “He was useless. Couldn’t find a single thing wrong with me. And just when I was getting really worried- I used my power.” 

 

He leaned forward, bracing himself on the table and staring into Niko’s eyes. Almost reflexively, she shrunk backwards as he spoke. “Suddenly everything felt fine. Everything felt great, like I’d never been sick in the first place. All I have to do is use my power, and nothing ever goes wrong. ” 

 

Wraith slumped back into his chair and sighed. “As far as I know, I’m the only cape that’s like this. No one else I’ve talked to knows anything about this sorta thing- although that’s not a huge number. Capes aren’t that social, especially the villains. Comes with the whole illegal activity thing, I guess.” 

 

For the first time since he’d begun telling his little story, Wraith saw how Niko had reacted to what he’d said. Her face was downcast, and her fingers tapped together slowly. “I’m sorry that I pressured you into talking.” she said quietly. 

 

_ Shit.  _ He mentally berated himself.  _ Maybe I should have held back when explaining it to her… she’s still just a little kid.  _ “Don’t.” He said firmly. “If anything, I should be sorry for describing it so bluntly. I wasn’t thinking.” 

 

Niko looked up, and once again he was reminded of just how small she was without her usual enthusiasm. “What about your family?” she asked. 

 

Wraith rolled his eyes and shrugged. “What about them?”


	13. Chapter 13

“Are you really sure you don’t want to talk about your family?” Niko asked. “I don’t want to be rude-”

 

“Then don’t.” Wraith said. “I’m not interested in talking about them right now, and they’ve got nothing to do with being a cape.”

 

“Sorry to bother you.” Niko said quietly.  _ John, what are you picking up from him? Any ideas on what he isn’t saying?  _ While she understood his desire for privacy, his description of his power’s urges had rattled her. 

 

**Not directly. I’ve got a few guesses, but honestly I think we should wait for him to come around later. He’s got a tendency just to close up when he gets pushed emotionally- and that miiiiight relate to that power of his.**

 

_ Got it. Thanks for the help.  _ “I’m sorry I asked about your power.” She said, smiling apologetically. “I didn’t mean to open any old wounds out of curiosity.” 

 

“Oi. None of that.” Wraith grinned. “Even though my power’s a pain in the butt sometimes, it’s still mine. I can do incredible things now, stuff that I can barely to believe. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

 

Pushing his chair back, Wraith flipped through the legal pad quickly before tossing it into a large cardboard box marked  Transcripts . “So, if I’m remembering correctly…” he sat back down, crossing one leg over the other. “You promised some kinda explanation about ‘what is up with your everything’. Please, do elaborate.” 

 

Wraith must have noticed her ‘deer in the headlights’ expression because he almost instantly raised his hands defensively. “I mean, if this isn’t a bad time or anything…” he stammered awkwardly. 

 

_ Okay, it’s go time.  _ Niko thought, sending a message to her partner at the speed of thought.  _ How much do you think we should tell him?  _

 

**Just the usual story, don’t go into specifics about you-know-who and we’ll be golden.** John mused.  **You need any help explaining stuff?**

 

_ I think I remember everything just fine, John.  _

 

**Are you sure? Cause I’ve got this whole thing already written up and everything-**

 

Niko sent him the mental equivalent of a glare.  _ I can do this- it’s my story, and I’m going to tell it my way.  _

 

**Okay, say no more!** John said cheerfully.  **They grow up so fast…**

 

Niko rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the table where Wraith sat expectantly. 

 

“Nah, it’s the perfect time for introductions.” she said with a smile. “You told me what it’s like to be Wraith, so now it’s my turn to tell you what it’s like to be Niko.”

 

“That’s an interesting way of describing it.” Wraith mused, loading a blank tape into the player and attaching a small microphone. “All right, the floor is yours.”

 

“What’s the recording for?” Niko asked. 

 

“Just a precaution.” Wraith smiled. “The Major’s going to want to look over it later once he gets back from patrol, and as you can see-” he gestured to the Wall plastered with information- “He’s a real stickler about keeping records.” 

 

Niko found herself hesitating. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the squad with the information, but she was worried about leaving evidence about her travels. John had cautioned her that certain people would be extremely interested in knowing that dimensional travel was possible.

 

_ But, Wraith said that they’re already hiding from the police.  _ She reasoned, remembering what her new friend had said earlier.  _ They already keep their identities secret. They don’t trust the people in charge- and they’re too moral to sell me out to a bad guy.  _

 

So, she smiled and began to explain. 

 

“I’m from a little village in the middle of farm country. Up until a few months ago, I was living there with my mom- nothing really interesting happened.” Niko’s expression changed from reflective to serious. “And then, one night, I woke up in a completely different bed in this house that was falling to pieces. The door was locked and I was all alone. I called out for help, but nobody could hear me.” 

 

“Seriously?” Wraith said. “Must have been terrifying for a little kid like you.”

 

“I’m not going to lie, it was pretty scary.” Niko agreed with a shiver. “But I wasn’t alone for long. See, it turns out that I was actually on a completely different world- and that I was chosen to save everyone there by fixing the sun. There was a prophecy and everything.” 

 

“Fixing… the sun?” Wraith asked, with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Yeah, that world’s sun is a giant lightbulb on a tower, instead of a star like mine.” Niko said. “Or yours, now that I think about it.”

 

“So you were ‘chosen.’” Wraith said, voice low and tight. “Taken in your sleep to another world, and told that you had to save everyone there because ‘destiny says so’. I don’t know about you, but that seems a lot like kidnapping to me.”

 

Niko squirmed in her chair. “Well… It’s a lot more complicated than that, and everything turned out alright in the end! I managed to save everyone- with a lot of help, of course.”

 

“And is that supposed to make what happened right?” Wraith said. “Putting the burden of a whole world on a little kid like you?” 

 

“There wasn’t any other way.” Niko said firmly. “John told me that he did everything he could to find another path but there just wasn’t any more time.” 

 

She sat back in her chair, eyes wistful. “At first, all I wanted to do was to go home and see my momma again. I was so scared, so many times. If I’d been alone, there’s no way I could’ve done anything.” Niko smiled. “But I don’t regret a thing. I saved over a million people from dying alone in the dark- and that makes me feel… I don’t know how to say it, really. You know that feeling too, don’t you? What it’s like being a hero?”

 

Wraith blinked, his mind churning with the thought Niko had just metaphorically hit him with. The memory of saving that man and woman in the car last night returned to him. That gleam in the man’s eyes… “Yeah. I think I do, Niko- Wait.” He said, one of her earlier statements coming back to him. “Who’s John?” 

 

“Oh! Can’t believe I forgot to mention him!” Niko said, face flushed with embarrassment. “He’s a close friend of mine. We met around when I first heard about the prophecy, and we’ve been traveling together ever since.” 

 

**We make a pretty good team, if I do say so myself.**

 

_ John, you do realize that he can’t hear you. At all.  _

 

“So… what’s this John character like?” Wraith asked. 

 

“Well- most importantly, he’s a huge nerd.” Niko said with a completely straight face. 

 

**I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you very much.** John said smugly. 

 

“He’s also a master at planning and improvisation.” she continued. “If you give him some yarn, a paperclip and a lawnmower, he could probably find a way to shut down a nuclear reactor.”

 

“Those things aside-” Wraith said, doing his best to bite back his smile. “Where’s John right now? I thought you said you were traveling together…”

 

“Oh- He’s been in touch with me remotely, from where he lives.” Niko explained. “I’m the traveler, and he’s the one who handles the plans and stuff.” 

 

“Okay.” Wraith let out a sigh. “So you’re saying that you’re from another world. How exactly did you come here, then? If you don’t mind me asking.” 

 

“John worked something out to send me between worlds and universes. I’m not entirely sure how it works…” Niko admitted sheepishly. “That’s why I said I didn’t have superpowers. The teleporting thing is all him.” 

 

“Interesting…” Wraith reached out and turned off the tape recorder. Niko had completely forgotten that it was even on. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table and folding his hands. “Let’s just get to the point here. Why are you traveling the universe?” 

 

“It’s pretty simple, really.” Niko admitted. “I just wanna get home again. Mom must be worried sick about me, and then there’s Ms. Peterson and the Twins and Dad. It’s been a little over eight months, so the wheat’s probably full grown by now.”

 

“I don’t get it. Why didn’t you just teleport straight back home then?” Wraith said. “Did you get lost somewhere along the way?” 

 

“Something like that.” Niko said dejectedly. “John explained that we can’t risk Jumping without knowing exactly where we’re going, and there’s no easy way of knowing where Home is. We’ve been visiting as many places as possible to triang- to map and narrow it down.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Wraith said, seeming at a loss for words. “How-how’s that been going for the two of you?” 

 

“John says we’re almost done!” Niko said enthusiastically. “It’s taken longer than he thought but there should be only a few more jumps until it’s over. I can’t wait!” 

 

“Good. That’s- good to hear.” Wraith said as he stood up, pushing his chair back into its place underneath the table. “Sorry if I asked too many questions. I guess I’m just naturally curious!”

 

“I don’t mind.” Niko said cheerfully. “You’re aren’t the first person I’ve explained this to, you know?” 

 

“How many different worlds have you visited, anyway?” Wraith said, sweeping the mess of equipment littering the table into the transcript box. “Just out of curiosity.” 

 

Niko got up from her chair, lost in thought as she realized that she didn’t even remember how many times she had jumped.  _ John? You’ve got that number written down somewhere, don’t you?  _

 

**Huh? Oh, the number of worlds we’ve visited. Sure, lemme see… 253, give or take a few. I wasn’t counting all the boring ones where nothing happened.**

 

Niko frowned internally.  _ John, are you alright? I can tell you’re distracted.  _

 

**Just busy with something important- and I ought to be done in a few hours.**

 

_ Really? Whatcha working on? Can I see?  _

 

**Not yet. It’s supposed to be a surprise, Niko. It won’t be any fun if I spoil it, now would it?**

 

His tone was chiding and teasing, and Niko couldn’t resist the urge to pout.  _ Fine, fine, But be sure you tell me the second you’re done!  _

 

**I promise. See you in a few.**

 

Niko snapped back to reality, blinking as she remembered the question Wraith had asked just a couple of seconds earlier. “About 250 different worlds, I think? We didn’t count exactly.”

 

Wraith stretched his arms and rubbed the stiffness out of his hand from writing. “Well, that honestly explains a lot more than I was expecting. For a while there I thought you had something extra strange going on.”

 

“Wait. So you don’t think my life as a dimensional hopper was as weird as what you were expecting?” Niko said quizzically. 

 

“Well, between the hyperspace bag and the teleportation and the cooking skills, I didn’t even know what to think.” Wraith said as he flopped down onto the couch and leaned back. “You know, I probably would have suspected something like… you being a space alien who learned human behavior through watching anime or something.” 

 

Niko paused in the middle of reaching for her bag, wondering to herself if she should mention to Wraith that she was technically an alien by virtue of being from a different planet. Thankfully, the decision was taken away from her by the knock at the apartment’s door.

 

Wraith pushed himself up to his feet with a sigh, crossing to the door with heavy steps and began to stare intently through the peephole. 

 

“Good to see you, boss!” he said with forced cheer. “Wasn’t expecting you back so early-”

 

“What’s the password.” said a voice from the other side of the door. Despite being muffled, it was still clearly identifiable as the Major. 

 

“Seriously?” Wraith scoffed. “I haven’t used my power all morning, you should still remember me.”

 

“That’s missing the point, Wraith.” the Major snapped. “I could be a cape who copies appearances. You could be compromised in any number of ways. Without the password, we’ve got no way to trust each other reliably.”

 

“Fine, fine. It was…” Wraith wracked his brain for the passcode. 

 

“That hesitation isn’t giving me confidence.” The Major said. 

 

“I’m thinking!” Wraith complained. “It’s not my fault you change the password every single day!”

 

Niko remembered the sticky note she’d seen in the garbage that had said  ‘I’m so hip, I could rap like a Nightingale.’ “Do you want some help?” she asked. 

 

“Come on, Wraith!” Blitz cheered. “The three of us believe in you!” 

 

“I’m giving you until the count of ten before I’m coming in there after you.” The Major growled. 

 

“The two of us believe in you!” Blitz corrected himself.

 

“Shut up!” Wraith shouted, rubbing his forehead intensely in a vain attempt to stimulate his brain into working. “Something something rap like a Nightingale?” 

 

The Major sighed. “Close enough. Now open up, we’re back from patrol.” 

 

Wraith undid the locks with a practiced ease, and the door swung open to reveal the Major and Blitz in full costume. 

 

Blitz quickly removed his motorcycle helmet with a sigh of relief as he shut the door with his hip. “Whew! It sure is another hot one today. Be sure to bring some water before you head out, Wraith.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to tell me twice.” Wraith grumbled as he made a beeline for the kitchen. 

 

Blitz excused himself and darted into the bathroom. Niko suspected that he was using his power to move, considering that he was almost too fast for her eyes to follow. It took her several seconds to realize that she was all alone in the living room with the Major. 

 

He slowly crossed over to the couch and sat down, unwinding his bandanna and removing his helmet and sunglasses. This was the first time she’d seen his uncovered face, and even though he was still probably in his thirties she could see why the other two capes called him ‘old man.’

 

The Major’s face had a thin scar running from his left cheek to his temple. His eyes were abright and icy blue, sunk deep in their sockets. The stress and frown lines around his mouth were clearly visible, but the general feeling Niko got from him went deeper than that. 

 

Everything about him should have characterized exhaustion. The way he moved, the way he held himself, and even the curt way he spoke, as if he barely had enough energy to muster the words. But there was a driving determination as well, almost incongruous with his appearance.

 

And while Niko was thinking about these things, the Major spoke. “How was your morning? You sleep well?” 

 

“Y-yes sir. The couch was pretty comfortable- I’ve had worse.” She said, almost automatically. “Wraith and I had a good time too.” 

 

The Major turned his bleary gaze over to her. “And did he finish the transcripts like I asked.”

 

Niko honestly had no idea, but considering how hard Wraith had been working, she couldn’t find it in herself to say no. “Yeah, he did. He complained almost as much as he worked, though.” 

 

That brought a small smile to the Major’s face. “Typical.” He pushed himself to his feet, leaving the helmet and bandana behind on the couch. “I’ll be doing paperwork if you need me. Blitz mentioned he wanted to talk with you once he’s finished using the bathroom.” 

 

“Thanks.” Niko said, rummaging in the couch for the remote. With everyone working, even John, it seemed it would be up to her to entertain herself for now. 


	14. Chapter 14

Niko watched the cartoon with disinterest, keeping one eye on the bathroom door. Wraith had mentioned that he would be leaving, presumably to do more spy work using his power. The Major had said that he had paperwork to do. And John was busy working on his ‘surprise’ for her later. 

 

By process of elimination, that left Blitz as the remaining person she had to let her get some time outside. While the apartment wasn’t tiny, knowing that there was a whole different world out there was a hard impulse to resist. Especially considering that there was nothing else productive for her to do at the moment. 

 

When she was younger, Sunday morning cartoons were a huge deal. It would take a serious event to break her appointment with her family’s small television. But now, the fantastical plots and pastel colors just seemed like a waste of time. Considering the beautiful alien sunsets she’d seen and the fantastical situations she’d escaped every other week, the fictional adventures Niko had once enjoyed paled in comparison to what she’d experienced in real life. And because John was busy working, it seemed that it would be up to Niko to explore on her own.

 

The bathroom door swung open, Blitz combing his unruly brown hair down with his fingernails as he stepped out. His seemingly permanent smirk widened into a genuine grin as he made eye contact, and she couldn’t resist smiling back in turn. 

 

“Hey, Niko!” he said, zipping across the room and into a relaxed position on the couch. “How’s it hanging, dude?” 

 

“Well, let me see…” Niko said, making an exaggerated show out of remembering the morning’s events. “I made a delicious omelet for breakfast, Wraith did paperwork, we talked about stuff, everything went great.”

 

“Awesome.” Blitz said, stretching out and picking up a large paper bag from beside the door. “I’ve got work around six, but until then, what do you think about an afternoon around town? You’ve gotta see the Ferry while you’re here.”

 

Niko’s heart soared at the thought of more exploration, but a possible problem with that suggestion kept her from squeeing in excitement. “I’d love to, but-” She pointed at her face. “Won’t people notice my hair? And my eyes?”

 

“Already taken care of.” Blitz said, tearing the paper bag away to reveal three white motorcycle helmets, all somewhat smaller than his. She looked up to meet his brown eyes, and saw how his smile reached them warmly. 

 

“I wasn’t sure what size you were, so I got one of each just to make sure.” he explained. “And I wasn’t sure what color you liked, so they’re white.” 

 

Niko was already halfway through unwrapping the medium sized helmet. “It’s perfect.” She breathed, seeing her reflection in the glossy surface as she turned it over, flipping the tinted visor up and down. 

 

“Save the compliments until after you’ve tried it.” Blitz said, grabbing his black helmet and toying with it idly. “It’s kid sized, but I don’t know if it’s cat sized.”

 

Niko blew a raspberry at Blitz before removing her hat. Her ears, freed from their confinement, twitched slightly at the feeling of open air. Lifting the helmet up above her head, she briefly wondered if the helmet would be too confining to be comfortable.  _ At least it doesn’t smell bad.  _ She thought, sniffing at the inside.  _ And it’s got plenty of padding.  _

 

Pulling the helmet down over her head, Niko instantly noticed how much quieter things were. Her ears were folded closed, thankfully cushioned by the soft internal padding. Through the visor, she could still see the room, but through a much narrower field of view that also happened to be tinted blue-green. 

 

“How’re you feeling in there, Niko?” Blitz asked, casually poking the top of her helmet. “Are your ears getting smooshed in there?”

 

“No, actually.” she responded, her voice sounding muffled and slightly distorted. “It’s pretty comfortable. Thanks, Blitz. I like it a lot.” 

 

He shrugged her off with a lazy grin. “I’m not wearing my helmet, remember? When it’s off, I’m just good ol’ mild mannered Jose. Gotta keep those identities separate, you know?”

 

“Sorry, Jose.” Niko said. “I promise I won’t mess that up again- but I didn’t actually know your real name?”

 

Blitz looked somewhat surprised. “I could have sworn I already told you my name…” he muttered. “I’m the guy who should apologize.”

 

Niko jumped forward off the couch, taking a few steps to feel how the helmet would change her movement. To her approval, it was firmly secured and didn’t slide around at all. The extra weight would throw off her balance slightly, but it was worth it to be out in public without attention.

 

“It’s okay. You said something about going outside?” she said, turning to him.

 

“That I did, Niko, that I did.” Blitz said, lumbering to his feet and walking over to the kitchen door. “But there’s no way I’m going out in that heat without a cold drink first. Wouldn’t want to get heat exhaustion, you know?”

 

Niko nodded, her gaze drawn to the other two helmets resting aimlessly in the bag on the couch. “Hey B- Jose!” She shouted across the apartment, blushing at nearly using the wrong name twice. “What about the other helmets?”

 

“Leave em! Guy at the store’s an old friend, he’ll take them back no problem.” Blitz shouted back, withdrawing two bottles of water from the fridge and closing it with a thud. 

 

“Be sure to be back before six.” The Major grunted, already engrossed in an assortment of newspaper clippings- prospective additions to the Wall. “And I strongly recommend you bring Chinese food this time.”

 

“Gotcha boss!” Blitz said, opening one of the bottles and taking a long, deep drink. He held up the other bottle, gesturing it towards Niko.

 

“No, no thanks. I’m not thirsty.” She said, waving her hands in front of her face, overacting to compensate for her helmet blocking her expression.

 

Blitz nodded, finished the bottle with one last chug, and let out a sigh of satisfaction. “Nothing like a cold water after a long morning outside. How’s your robe’s breathability? Cause if it’s anything like this-” he gestured to his leather outfit- “then you’ll be roasted in no time.” 

 

“It’s pretty good, actually.” Niko said, walking over to the front door. “It’s what I always wore back home, and it gets real hot during the summer there.”

 

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it.” Blitz said, scooping his helmet up off the couch. “It’s sorta easy to forget you can look after yourself, you know?” 

 

“Well, I guess that makes two of us.” Niko said. “You know, with the secret identity thing?”

 

“That it does, Niko.” Wraith smiled, as he was in the process of equipping his black helmet. “That it does.”

 

-

 

This was far from the first time Niko had ridden in a car. Her dad had one for starters, and that wasn’t counting the other times during her extended travels. But this was a special occasion in more ways than one. 

 

“Calm down, Niko, you’ll hurt your neck if you keep trying to see everything at once.” Blitz grumbled, driving slowly down a side street. “And put your seatbelt back on! If we get in a crash, you’re going right through the windshield.”

 

**He’s right you know.** John said, deigning to descend from his work to comment.  **Put it on right now or you’re grounded.**

 

Niko turned back around in her seat, sitting down with a pout.  _ Seriously? _

 

**Seatbelt use is no laughing matter, young lady.** John lectured.  **Aaand I just realized I sound exactly like my mother...**

 

_ John?  _

 

**Oh, would you look at the time! Gotta go!**

 

_ Honestly…  _ Niko sighed.  _ It’s like I’m the mature one.  _

 

She fastened her seatbelt with an audible metallic click, quickly forgetting about the momentary conflict as her attention returned to the cityscape around her. The towering apartments and older office buildings gave way to long, low warehouses on the right and the gleaming spires of downtown to the left. 

 

Off in the distance, past several tall cranes and ships, the dark blue water of the Bay glinted with sunlight. Niko couldn’t help but stare, nose pushed up against the window as the world whirled by. 

 

The street widened, more and more traffic joining them as the truck got closer and closer to the bay, the docks and warehouses replaced by an older residential and business district. 

 

“Up ahead is the Ferry Dock, the second biggest tourist trap in town.” Blitz said, gesturing with one hand and steering calmly with the other. “It crosses to the other side of the bay every half hour, as long as the weather and the cargo ships don’t get in the way.”

 

Niko broke her gaze from the view and turned to face Blitz. “And we’re going to ride on it?” she said excitedly. 

 

“Course we are.” Blitz said, Niko getting the impression he was grinning beneath his helmet. “It might not be the fastest way to get to the Boardwalk, but it’s the most fun by a long shot.”

 

He expertly switched lanes, turning into a large, half full parking lot right by the edge of the bay. The Ferry was clearly visible, docked only a short distance away from a squat, white building that was clearly the ticket office. 

 

“So… What kind of stuff is there to do on the Boardwalk?” Niko asked as they pulled forward into a parking space. 

 

“You mean, what isn’t there to do on the Boardwalk.” Blitz said, popping his door open and swinging his legs out onto the ground. “There’s food, fancy clothes, all kinds of stalls and carnival games, this little ferris wheel…”

 

Niko opened her door, realizing that the truck’s cab was a lot higher off the ground than she expected. Carefully, she hopped down to the footrest, and then down to the ground with a satisfying crunching sound from the gravel underneath her feet. 

 

“And considering that there’s people from all over the country there,” Blitz stepped around the front of the car and pushed Niko’s door closed for her. “No one’s going to look twice at two weirdos in motorcycle helmets.” 

 

“Do you really need to wear yours, though?” Niko asked. “I mean, you’re not doing any cape stuff, so you could just use your normal id-”

 

“Not so loud!” Blitz hissed, putting a finger in front of his visor to shush her. “I know you’re new to this, but not keeping quiet sorta defeats the whole point.”

 

“Sorry.” Niko said apologetically, tracing a line in the gravel with the toe of her shoe. “I’m just wondering why you’re wearing the helmet if you’re always complaining about how hot it is out here.”

 

“That’s easy! If people see you wearing a helmet alone, they’ll wonder why a little girl is wearing one. They’d ask questions, they’d start watching us out of the corner of their eyes, and it’d be really awkward for everyone. But! Because I’m wearing a helmet, everyone just assumes we’re dressing up together, and we’re inconspicuous!” Blitz boasted, thumping one gloved hand against his chest.

 

Niko giggled. “Alright, Mister Master of Disguise. Lead the way.”

 

The two began walking across the parking lot towards the ferry office. Blitz pointed out the large red number 2 painted on the ship’s hull. “There’s two ferries so that they can constantly make trips back and forth, and so people don’t have to wait so long.” he said in an expository manner befitting a tour guide. 

 

And then they came around a corner and saw the length of the monstrous line at the ticket office. “Well, so much for not having to wait.” Niko said as they took their places at the end of the line. 

 

“Sorry about this-” Blitz said sheepishly. “I forgot that it’s Saturday, and that means that everything’s even more packed than normal.” 

 

“It’s okay.” Niko said, lifting up the visor of her helmet just enough so she could take a breath of fresh air. The smell of salt and fish on the wind was refreshing, invigorating, and just a tiny bit delicious. “I’m just happy to be here, really.” 

 

Blitz leaned against the wall, arms loosely folded. “By happy to be here, do you mean outside, or with us in general?”

 

“Both.” Niko said matter of factly. “The three of you’re really interesting, and that’s saying a lot considering the other people I’ve seen and talked to. And I’ve always had a little soft spot for the ocean, so I’m really happy about getting to ride the Ferry too.”

 

“No offense, Niko, but you seem like you’re pretty happy about everything.” Blitz said, pushing off the wall as the line continued to progress. “Just makes me wonder why, honestly.”

 

“Why? Why what? Why wouldn’t I want to be happy about stuff?” Niko said.

 

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” Blitz sighed. “It sure seems that there are plenty of people out there who don’t really want to be happy. But that’s not the point. I’m just asking if you need our help, Niko.”

 

“Help with what?” She asked, running over a mental list of possible needs. “You’re already letting me stay at your place, and you’re paying for this trip, and you got me this helmet-”

 

“Not _ that _ kind of help.” Blitz interrupted, holding his hand out like he was trying to calm her down. “You’re… very capable for a little girl. You’ve mentioned that you’ve got experience- experience with stuff like we do. Stuff like fighting, spying- killing.”

 

Niko recoiled in shock. “No, you’re wrong! I’ve never…” 

 

“You said that you’ve been away from home for a long time.” Blitz said quietly. “And I don’t know exactly what’s happened and what you’ve been up to but- You can understand why I’m worried about you, right?” 

 

Niko couldn’t meet his eyes, even hidden as they were underneath the helmet.  _ Strange, isn’t it? Actually running for my life is way way easier than admitting that I’ve been doing it.  _

 

“There’s a war in the shadows. One between the Mob and the heroes, both hunting each other.” Blitz kneeled down to her eye level, his eyes visible and deadly serious behind his visor. “And I would never be able to live with myself if we got you in harm's way.”

 

Niko reached out and grasped his large hand in hers, marveling at the difference in size. “Blitz. Besides the obvious fact that I can’t think of many places safer than a room with three superhuman friends-” Blitz had to suppress a snort of laughter. “I’m leaving in a few days.” she continued. “I’m not going to fight, and I’m very good at running. You don’t have to worry about me.”

 

Blitz squeezed her hand back before letting go, straightening up and rubbing a kink out of his back. “It’s not just intellectual, you know?” he said, sounding a lot more jovial after apparently accepting her explanation and waving his finger mockingly. “You know that men have an instinctive desire to protect young ladies like yourself.” 

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m just a kid, Blitz, nowhere near a ‘young lady’ yet.” She teased in return. 

 

“Oh really? How old are you then?” Blitz asked. 

 

“Asking a lady her age?” Niko gasped, her hand in front of her mouth in an imitation of her great-aunt. “Well I never!” 

 

“Oh, so you are a lady now? Right when it happens to suit you? How convenient.” Blitz chuckled. 

 

“But seriously, I’m twelve.” Niko said. “I’ll be thirteen in a few months.”

 

Blitz let out a low whistle. “Dang. I guess you could say that you’ve already had an lifetime’s worth of adventure already.” 

 

Niko grinned back, watching as the sun shone through a patchwork of small clouds. “Yeah. I guess you could.” 


	15. Chapter 15

The ferry crashed through the choppy waves, weighed down by several hundred passengers and struggling against a fairly strong headwind. Clouds were sweeping in from the west, hinting that rain would come in the near future. 

 

But the only thing Niko was concerned with at the moment was the wind, cool, refreshing, and with a delicious tinge of salt. As she stood on the top deck, arms outstretched and eyes closed, all she could think of was that boats were awesome, and she really should have ridden that one boat when she had the chance. 

 

“Careful standing so close to that railing.” Blitz remarked, slouched on one of the waterproof deck chairs. “It’d just take one big wave and bang, into the drink you go.”

 

“I’m holding on just fine.” Niko huffed, wiggling her feet that were wrapped around the lower rung and her torso lacing through between two rungs, pinning her in place. 

 

“Sure, not doubting that at all. But I think that the crewman over there might have a thing or two to say about what you’re doing.” Blitz said, lazily gesturing behind him. 

 

Niko froze, turning slowly to lock eyes with of the ferry’s workmen. His goofy, old style sailor uniform did nothing to detract from the sheer intent in his bright blue eyes as he grumbled- “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

 

She untangled herself from the railing in a flash, holding her hands up defensively. “Nothing, officer! Nothing at all! Sure, if I was doing something dangerous I would be thinking about doing it, but because I’m not, then what I think I’m doing is…”

 

The sailor’s eyes narrowed. Niko lept onto a seat next to Blitz, kicking her legs idly. “I’ve been sitting here?” she hazarded, silently begging the man to accept her explanation of events. 

 

He relented, rolling his eyes and turning his attention over to Blitz. “Hey, you. Helmet guy. Keep a closer eye on your kid.” 

 

“Certainly, sir!” Blitz said, laying a hand on Niko’s shoulder. “You know how kids are, always getting into trouble, give them an inch and they’ll take a mile-”

 

“As long as she isn’t falling off my boat and getting us sued, I don’t care.” the sailor said, turning to walk away. “Bunch of freaks.” he muttered, his voice trailing off as he tromped back down the stairs. 

 

Blitz let go of Niko’s shoulder, straightening up in his chair. “Jerk.” he said under his breath.

 

Niko giggled, eliciting a glare and a shrug from Blitz. “Well, he was! So what if we both like wearing motorcycle helmets! It’s a free country and we’re not hurting anybody. I’ve got to deal with this all the time too! ‘No, you can’t shop here with that helmet on, sir.’ ‘No, you can’t withdraw from our bank if we can’t see your face.’ Pain in the as- butt.” he concluded lamely.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that, but…” Niko said, her voice trailing off in thought. 

 

“But what?” Blitz said suspiciously. “Are you questioning the way of the helmet, young grasshopper?”

 

“I guess I just don’t see what the appeal is.” Niko said matter of factly. “I mean, it’s actually pretty comfortable, but my ears are covered in sweat, I can barely see anything, and-” She flipped up the faceplate, revealing her golden eyes. “Everything smells like a new car!”

 

Blitz sighed theatrically. “It seems that we are at an impasse, my dear Niko. For whereas you see these ‘features’ as a burden, I appreciate them for the sake of extra protection.”

 

“Considering the fights you get in, I’m doubting the helmet really helps.” Niko said. “Not enough to make up for being half blind.”

 

“That may be a problem for you, but I’ve got eyes in the back of my head!” Blitz said smugly. “Metaphorically speaking, anyway. I know where anything that moves within ten feet of me is perfectly. That’s how I catch bullets out of the air.”

 

Niko waved dismissively. “Pfft. Yeah right, even if you were fast enough you’d have to deal with the kinetic force breaking your arms. You’d need some sort of super durability and strength too. And if you’re really that fast, why wouldn’t you just move out of the way?”

 

“First of all, I get a brief moment of invulnerability when I hit something- and that includes bullets. Second, there’s another reason that you aren’t considering.” Blitz’s eyes gleamed behind his visor. “What does catching a bullet and wearing the helmet have in common, Niko? Think about it for a second.”

 

Niko’s eyes widened.  _ Oh. So he can catch bullets- and he’s trying to get me to guess why. I’ll ask John… No, he’s busy working on something. And, even if John was available, I can’t just rely on him to feed me answers for the rest of my life either.  _ She set her jaw in determination.  _ This is a test, and I’ve got to figure it out myself!  _

 

Blitz sat back in his chair, arms folded. “I’ll give you another minute to think of something. Don’t push yourself too hard, but I am curious.” He leaned forward, smirking. “Impress me.”

 

_ Okay. How is wearing a helmet like catching a bullet? One’s defensive and reasonable, but the other’s reckless and foolhardy…  _ Niko mentally slapped herself.  _ No, what am I doing! He means why he does it! Why does he wear a helmet, if it’s not going to stop bullets or other cape attacks? Why does he catch bullets, if it’s faster and safer to move out of the way? _

 

“Forty seconds left.” Blitz said, tapping his toe on the deck with a regular beat. “Keep working at it, Niko.” 

 

_ His helmet’s black, just like his costume. It’s sneaky at night. But that’s exactly the opposite of showing off by catching a bullet!  _ She looked up at the brawler, remembering her past interactions with him.  _ I mean, it is in character for him to do something just because it’s cool. But that can’t be the only connection. There’s something I’m missing. _

 

“Twenty seconds.” Blitz’s voice was low, distorted by Niko’s increasing urgency into a menacing growl in her ears. 

 

Niko squeezed her eyes shut in concentration.  _ I’ve gotta prove I’m not just a stupid kid! Think, Niko, think! What’s his role in the team!  _

 

“He sets them up and I put them down.” Blitz said cockily. 

 

Blitz zipped across the room in an instant, closing the door behind him just as she realized he had moved in the first place. 

 

“If I can get within punching range, I can take almost anyone out.”

 

_ He’s a close-range fighter- like a Monk or Warrior type. The Major’s obviously a Ranger with guns, and a Specialist with anti-gravity. Wraith’s an Assassin, through and through. So in a serious fight together, Blitz’s the tank. But he can’t just take the hits, he needs to be attacking back and closing the distance so he can melee them. So when he does awesome but impractical stuff-It’s all about image. _

 

“Time’s up.” Blitz said, rising to his feet as the ferry began to slow down. “Do you have any good guesses?”

 

Niko opened her eyes. “It’s all about intimidation.” She said. “I was wondering why you got me a white helmet instead of a black one like yours. The helmet isn’t for stealth because your fighting style isn’t about stealth. That’s Wraith’s job. And it isn’t for protection- it doesn’t help against bullets and you don’t need it to, either.”

 

“Go on.” Blitz beckoned. “And catching bullets?”

 

“Also intimidation. Sure, it’s unnecessary and impractical, but it does draw attention.” Niko grinned as the pieces of her theory fell into place. “And while the attention’s on you, your teammates attack from behind. You demoralize them, play up your invincibility. And if you need to fight again, they’ll be terrified of the helmet guy.”

 

“Helmet guy? Seriously?” Blitz moaned. “Every punk in the city knows my name is Blitz!”

 

“And what if we run into one of those punks on the Boardwalk, then?” Niko challenged. 

 

“Simple. I’ll take them down- and the Enforcers don’t take kindly to blatant gang members on their Boardwalk.” Blitz said, making for the stairs. 

 

Niko jumped off her seat and followed. “Who’re the Enforcers?” she asked.

 

“Hired security, paid for by the Boardwalk businesses.” Blitz explained as they descended the stairs, entering the crowd departing the ferry. “Thousands of people visit every day, so they’re here to keep the peace and keep riffraff out. They’re nothing like ordinary rent-a-cops, these guys are professionals and they take this seriously.”

 

“And will our helmets cause any problems? We don’t exactly look like upstanding citizens…” Niko worried.

 

“Relax.” Blitz said, giving a thumbs up. “I know a guy, we’re on their whitelist. Everything’s gonna be just fine.”

 

The helmet wearing duo filed off the gangplank and onto the Boardwalk, finding themselves surrounded by stores, carnival rides, food and trinket stands, and a constant swarm of eager tourists. 

 

“Well, you’re the guest. Where to first?” Blitz said, scanning the horizon for possible places to visit. 

 

Niko looked up at her friend, who was at least two feet taller than she was, and then at the similarly tall crowd surrounding her. “I can’t see anything from down here, Blitz…”

 

“Do you want to ride on my shoulders?” he asked, his attention fixed on the ferris wheel at the far end of the Boardwalk. Niko tensed up in shock, her eyes widening “Or we can find a map, whatever.” he shrugged, not breaking his staring contest with the ferris wheel. 

 

“Hold on tight, Niko! Don’t let go!”

 

She blinked the memory of her father away. Now wasn’t the time to be lost in the past. Normally she would have asked John if he thought this was a good idea, but he had said that the squad was trustworthy. So Niko nodded in agreement. 

 

Blitz must have sensed her movement with his power, because he kneeled down smoothly, holding his hand out behind him. “Just step here first, and then-”

 

Niko crouched and lept into the air, coming down perfectly on top of Blitz’s shoulders. He startled forward from the shock but recovered quickly, rising to his feet. And now Niko could see, towering above the crowd. For the first time in a long time, she felt tall. 

 

“Jeez.” Blitz mumbled, poking her foot good-naturedly. “Next time give me a heads up before you just jump on top of me like that.” 

 

“Sorry.” Niko said, trying to decide which restaurant was likely to have the best food for the lowest price. “I guess I’m used to showing off like this. John always jokes about it too…”

 

Several people were staring at the big man and the little girl wearing helmets. It wasn’t a dismissive or wary stare, but it still made Niko’s skin prickle. She tapped Blitz’s helmet, leaning forward and gesturing towards Fugly Bob’s. “Over there, that place looks nice.”

 

“As you wish, your majesty.” Blitz said with a chuckle. “You’re really light, you know. I mean, I’m a big guy but you really don’t weigh a lot.”

 

“Well, I guess that makes sense. Cats are always light on their feet.” she said teasingly. 

 

The way Blitz’s shoulders moved up and down along with his gait reminded Niko of the Ferry. And as they walked forward, farther along the boardwalk, she couldn’t help but feel incredibly happy she’d gotten the chance to come to Brockton Bay. 

 

-

 

With a click, Wraith turned off the tape recording of his conversation with Niko from earlier that morning. “That’s everything we discussed, sir.” he said, with unusual amount of attention and respect. It seemed that the situation had the usually lackadaisical youth reacting seriously. 

 

The Major leaned back in his chair and sighed. “So to recap- alternate worlds or universes exist and can be traveled between. Niko is one of those travelers, and she is able to do so thanks to a benefactor of unknown power and ability named John.”

 

“That does seem to be the long and short of it, boss.” Wraith said. “She didn’t lie as far as I could tell, but it is pretty insane.”

 

“Is it any more insane than a literal catgirl and a functional bag of holding?” The Major questioned. “ Just like one of those animes… ” he muttered.

 

“Did you say something?” Wraith questioned. 

 

“In any case,” The Major continued. “It should be obvious that knowledge of this ‘jump’ ability must never leave this room. Destroy that tape immediately- if anyone else found out, they’d do anything to seize that power for themselves.”

 

“Right.” Wraith said, his face grim. “Even if it’s just the government, they’d lock her up at the very best. Even if they can’t hold her and she just teleports out, that still wouldn’t end well for any of us.”

 

“And then there’s John. Capabilities, unknown. Level of knowledge, unknown. His true motives, unknown.” The Major listed in frustration. 

 

“Niko said that he wants to help her get home, and she believes him.” Wraith offered.

 

“While I would like to trust the altruism of a random stranger from another world, there’s another factor to consider. A young girl’s greatest fear isn’t darkness, isn’t monsters, isn’t even death. Her greatest fear is to be alone.” The Major declared.

 

“So you’re saying that he’s abusing her desire to have friends?” Wraith said, gripping the table’s edge. “That he’s just leading her on for his own benefit?”

 

“It is a distinct possibility, but without more information we can’t be sure.” The Major continued. “And Niko won’t be able to offer it, she’s too close either way to objectively judge him.”

 

“You know, I really wouldn’t peg you as the psychoanalyst type, Major.” Wraith quipped. 

 

“Just goes to show not to judge a book by its cover.” The Major smirked. “I actually studied Child Psychology in college. Could have gone pro if I hadn’t joined the Marines. But we’re getting off topic here. What if this John acts against us?”

 

“And what if he does? He’s in another world, and he’s got powers we can’t even begin to understand. If he does try to wipe us all out, then what are we going to do?” Wraith said.

 

“First of all, in a worst case scenario you need to stay alive.” The Major said, deadly serious. 

“You might be able to use your powers to escape detection. Even if it’s only temporary, you need to get the word out about the threat we face. If enough capes work together, there might be some way of striking back or escaping safely.” The Major clenched his fist in repressed frustration. “Who knows what things that man may be plotting at this very moment!”

 

-

 

John sneezed, nearly bashing his head on his computer monitor from the recoil. “Whoa…” he grumbled, scrubbing the droplets off his keyboard. “For a second there I thought someone was talking about me or something.”


	16. Chapter 16

Niko and Blitz’s day at the boardwalk came to an abrupt halt around four in the afternoon when it began to rain. It started with a gentle sprinkle, just enough to send the less prepared tourists ducking for cover.

 

It was around four in the afternoon and it was already beginning to rain.  _ The forecaster said it wouldn’t be until six at least.  _ Wraith grumbled to himself as he sloshed through a rapidly growing puddle.  _ Of course it had to be right now, when I’m actually out trying to get stuff done.  _

 

At least his armored cloak was also waterproof, and his boots were rubberized so he wasn’t actually wet. But the grey, gloomy mood was wearing down on him regardless. After visiting the usual surveillance traps to switch out their recording tapes, he’d spent a couple hours trailing suspicious individuals with ties to the mafia. All in all it had been a productive day until it had begun to rain. 

 

“Hey Wraith, me and Niko’re going out to visit the boardwalk.” Blitz had said earlier. “ Mind taking the truck over and picking us up when we’re done?”

 

Despite Wraith’s protests about not knowing when he should arrive, the rain clearly indicated that they would be cutting their time out on the town short. And despite how frustrating it might be, he really didn’t have anything else going on at the moment. 

 

The gravel crunched under his boots as he walked through the ferry’s parking lot, rain beading up and rolling off the waterproof material of his cloak. Even though he was surrounded by people in a hurry to get to their cars and leave, none of them so much as noticed his presence with his power active. 

 

It was a relief, he thought, both physically and mentally to be able to disappear again. Spending all night and the morning without using his power had gradually increased the usual itching sensation to something incredibly annoying, and he was glad to be rid of that feeling. 

 

It was also a relief to walk around publicly, completely unnoticed. Liberating was the best word he could think of for it, it was liberating to know that he could do a handstand, steal a car, punch someone in the face and they wouldn’t even know it was him at all. 

 

_ Of course, now everyone’s forgotten about me again.  _ He sighed.  _ I’ll have to explain all over again, use the passcode again. I’ll drive the truck over there, and I’ll have to explain who I am- and Niko won’t remember me. She won’t remember the conversation we had, she won’t remember that she wanted to be friends.  _

 

The thought hurt more than he expected it to, considering he had almost a year of experience dealing with being forgotten by everyone he cared about.  _ Is it because she’s someone I just met, or is it because she’s just so… earnest? Whatever.  _ He thought, stomping through the next puddle vitriolically.  _ Doesn’t matter now, anyway.  _

 

Blitz’s truck was parked just ahead, and Wraith bent down to grab the spare key hidden underneath the back bumper. After a bit of fumbling, he managed to unlock the door, knocked the mud off his boots, and stepped up into the truck’s cab. 

 

The height of the truck always threw him off compared to his old car that had been a hand me down from his parents, at least until his powers had made a driver's license nothing more than a useless hunk of plastic. After all, what was the point of one if no one recognized you anyway? Thankfully, his powers also helped him avoid notice while he was driving, albeit to a lesser extent.

 

Wraith turned the key and shifted into reverse, deactivating his power as he began backing up. It wouldn’t be right to risk a collision or accident because someone didn’t notice his truck moving. Pulling through the parking lot and out onto the road, he activated the windshield wipers. 

 

The rain and the general gloomy mood were doing their best to lull him into drowsiness, and he did his best to stave it off as he continued driving. The rest of the journey across the bay passed in a half-forgotten daze.

-

As Wraith pulled up by the boardwalk entrance, he could easily pick Blitz and Niko out of the crowd by the oversized, red umbrellas they were holding above their heads. The surrounding tourists were giving the two jealous looks, which made sense as the rainfall increased. 

 

He honked the horn and rolled down the window, hood pulled back to reveal his face, and gave a come-hither gesture to the cape and the cat. It was hard to read their expressions under their helmets, but Niko clearly noticed, and beckoned Blitz down so she could whisper to him. 

 

Wraith drummed his hands on the steering wheel impatiently. Sure, from their perspective a random person had just driven up and addressed them specifically, but he had places to go, and things to do! Specifically, the leftover half of Niko’s breakfast omelet was still tempting him. 

 

Niko and Blitz, having come to a conclusion, started walking towards him as they folded up their umbrellas.  _ Finally.  _ Wraith sighed in relief.  _ Now all I need to do is to convince them to get in the car-  _

 

He blinked as Blitz opened the passenger side door, and Niko opened the door to the backseat, without any hesitation at all. They stepped in, and sat down, and Wraith pulled out of the parking lot and drove off. 

 

Blitz fastened his seatbelt, and after shooting a long, disapproving glare towards Niko, she fastened hers as well. She removed her helmet, blowing him a raspberry as she did so. Blitz removed his helmet, blew a sweaty lock of hair out of his eyes, and turned conspiratorially towards Wraith. 

 

“Two questions- who are you working for and where are you taking us?” Blitz said calmly, but the glint in his eyes made it clear he meant business. 

 

“Easy there, Blitz.” Wraith chuckled, as he made a long left turn. “I’m with the Major and we’re heading straight back to the apartment safehouse. Nothing to worry about.”

 

“Alright, if you say so.” Blitz shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for being a bit paranoid, though. Never know when someone’s planning on backstabbing you, these days.”

 

“Lies and slander!” Wraith said cheerfully, deciding to needle his partner a bit. “I don’t even carry a knife at all!” The fact that if he wanted to betray someone they’d never see him coming was tastefully left unsaid. 

 

“Knife or no knife, if you try any funny business I’m taking you down.” Blitz growled, taking the bait and poking Wraith in the chest.

 

“Please don’t fight each other…” Niko begged, looking back and forth between her two new friends as they glared into each other’s eyes. “A-and WATCH THE ROAD!” She shouted, pointing as the car began to drift to the left into oncoming traffic. 

 

With a curse, Wraith broke his gaze away from Blitz and hauled the wheel over to the right, sending the truck curving back to safety. He didn’t dare take his eyes off the road, breathing heavily and heart pounding.  _ Too close. That was too damn close.  _

 

Blitz slumped back into his seat, looking somewhat shocked at how quickly things had gone downhill. Wraith couldn’t blame him, considering how all three of them had nearly just died because he’d provoked Blitz. The only one of them who’d already shrugged off the anxiety of the near miss was Niko.

 

“Friends shouldn’t be fighting each other! Especially when you’re driving, Wraith!” she said, gripping the headrest in front of her tightly 

 

“Hey, come on!” Wraith shot back. “Blitz started it, not me-”

 

His thoughts managed to catch up with his mouth.  _ I didn’t tell her my name- not since I used my power, anyway. Wait,  _ “What!” he shouted, slamming on the brakes and sending them squealing to a halt. 

 

Blitz growled, forcing the seatbelt off his chest as he pushed himself back up from the sudden stop. “Niko, you know this guy?” he asked incredulously. 

 

“How?” Wraith breathed. “I used my power!” He turned around in his chair to face her, shouting. He could feel the heat on his face as his mind raced. “Why didn’t you forget about me!”

 

Niko felt an oversized sweatdrop roll down her temple. “Uhh…”

 

-About a minute earlier-

 

_ Hey John, who’s this guy driving the car? Something about him looks familiar, and he’s waving us over.  _

 

**Lemme check here… Oh, it’s Wraith the invisible dude! Remember you talked with him this morning about his powers? And you cooked that omelet and he got super jealous? And then-**

 

_ I get it, I get it. It’s starting to come back to me now. That’s a pretty strong Stranger power… it’s been a while since I’ve seen one this bad.  _

 

**Are you still having trouble?**

 

_ It’s almost like there’s a fog in my head blocking stuff about him out. I didn’t even notice it before…  _

 

**Don’t try and push it too hard. I’ll see about some kind of countermeasure antigen later.**

 

_ Thanks, John! You’re the best! _

 

-

 

Niko laughed nervously. “I’ve had experience remembering things like this before?”

 

“Niko.” Wraith said, eyes desperate. “My power’s strong enough to bleach me from my family’s memories. When it’s on, people can’t form new ones of me at all. This isn’t like ordinary retrograde amnesia, this is a superhuman power that blocks me entirely!”

 

“And I’m saying that I’ve done this kind of stuff before.” Niko said stubbornly. “Like when the timeline got reset, everyone forgot except John, and eventually my memories came back when Proto mentioned what the top of the Tower looked like-”

 

“Hold up, slow down.” Blitz said, raising his hand cautiously. “Lemme get this straight. This guy is Wraith and his power makes people forget about him.”

 

“Yeah. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work…” Wraith grumbled, folding his arms in on himself. 

 

Blitz rubbed his forehead in frustration “And you can just… work around that, Niko? How?”

 

“John sent me a reminder.” Niko said, tapping the end of her nose in thought. “But I don’t know if that would help someone else. I’ve got a pretty good memory, but I dunno if I’ve got super recall or anything.”

 

“John sent you a reminder. How.” Wraith said, feeling a headache coming on as he covered his eyes. “I thought you said, when we were talking earlier- that he’s in a different universe?”

 

Niko froze in her tracks. She hadn’t even thought about telling anyone about her mental link with John. It was a close secret, only known by a few of her closest friends. But if she didn’t tell Wraith and the others, there might be a serious loss of trust between them. Trust that they both desperately needed. 

 

Thankfully, Wraith came to her rescue. “Never mind, just remembered that John teleports you places.” he said, shifting the truck back into gear. “So he’s probably got some absurdly advanced technology to call you at any time. Figures…”

 

Niko lowered her head, feeling the pain of indecision weigh down on her like a smothering blanket.  _ I was just trying to help and now everything’s even more complicated! I thought Wraith would be happy that I could remember him.  _ Despite her wishes, a tear began to trace a line down her cheek.  _ I thought he didn’t want to be alone anymore… Is he really that scared? _

 

Blitz fastened his seatbelt as the truck began to move. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Niko’s despondency, stretching back to pat her on the knee. “It’s okay, Niko. You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

 

_ I seriously doubt that.  _ Niko thought to herself, hugging her knees and doing her best to curl up into a ball and hide.  _ I wonder- is he lying to make me feel better or does he really think that I didn’t mess up? I hurt Wraith, right after we promised to be friends and everything. That’s a serious mess up by anyone’s standards. _

 

The truck continued down the road in relative silence, Wraith keeping his attention fixed firmly on driving. Blitz gave Niko’s kneecap another pat before withdrawing his hand. “Everything’s gonna be just fine, don’t worry. You really are something, kid.” 

 

-

 

The apartment seemed dingier and smaller now, shadows swirling in the corners and small smudges on the wall. Niko wasn’t sure if the place had always been like this or if her mood colored her perceptions that strongly. 

 

She sat on the couch quietly, toying with a little beanbag she’d picked up from a gift shop far, far away. Blitz sat next to her, clearly in a well-intentioned desire to provide moral support. And Wraith was having a somewhat heated discussion with the Major in the kitchen, presumably about how she’d shrugged off his power without even trying.

 

Blitz turned off the tv with an audible snap, bending down and waving his hand in front of her face to catch her attention. “Hey. Niko. Don’t worry, no one’s angry at you.” 

 

“If no one’s angry, then why are they still arguing in there?” she said stubbornly, pointing to the kitchen door.

 

“It’s complicated and it’s not about you, Niko. Not really.” Blitz sighed. “They aren’t angry or scared of you hurting us- it’s hard to explain. How much do you know about capes?”

 

“Not that much.” she admitted. “I know you’ve got superpowers, people have all kinds and types of them, Wraith told me about how his power’s got withdrawals? Other than that, I really don’t know.”

 

“Well.” Blitz leaned back, shoulders slumping. “I guess it’s up to me to give you the talk, then.”

 

**Did someone say THE TALK.** John’s voice echoed in Niko’s head suddenly.  **Don’t make me come down there, Blitz! I’ll slap you senseless before I let you corrupt my partner!**

 

_ What are you talking about?  _ She half shouted back in confusion and surprise.  _ And what’s The Talk? _

 

Her inner turmoil must have shown on her face, because Blitz backed off, hands raised in surrender. “Not the birds and the bees talk! I mean, the cape talk. About where our powers come from.” 

 

“Oh.”  **Oh thank God.**

 

“Yeah.” Blitz said awkwardly, cleaning out one ear with his pinky finger. “Honestly, I’m probably not really that qualified to tell you this- but I guarantee the Major and Wraith would be even worse, so let’s get this started. Have you ever had a bad day, Niko?”

 

She was reminded of terrifying confrontations and panicked escapes from monstrous pursuers, and of course that first horrible morning where she’d awoken in a strange bed underneath an unfamiliar ceiling. “Yeah, I guess so.” she said. 

 

“Okay.” Blitz said, his face and tone back into what she now had named his serious mode. “Remember that feeling, that choking in your throat, that tightness in your chest, that shock in your spine and your disbelief that anything like this could happen to you. Multiply that by ten and you’ll know what us capes go through.”

 

“Oh.” Niko said, the weight of his words beginning to sink in. “So that’s how it starts for you, then?”

 

“Every cape gets their powers on the worst day of their life.” Blitz said, eyes staring blankly. Niko got the impression that he was somewhere very, very far away. “That moment when all hope is lost, when there’s nothing left to live for. It’s the one thing that we all have in common- all of us are horribly broken, in one way or another.”

 

Niko was at a loss for words once again. It was not a particularly pleasant feeling. 

 

“So, try to understand that some things are harder for us.” Blitz said. “From what I can tell, Wraith’s got some serious issues about his power. Not your fault that you jumped right into the middle of them.”

 

“And what about you?” Niko asked. “Are you alright, Blitz?”

 

“Alright? I’m doing pretty well.” he said with a small smile. “I’ve got a well-paying job, a house, a girl and a nice car. And I get to stop crimes with my bare hands, can’t forget about that. Sure, it’s hard sometimes. A lot of the time, honestly. But overall, I’d say things are pretty good.”

 

There was a pause as Blitz lifted himself up off the couch, grabbing his helmet as he did so. “Well, it’s getting late, almost time for work. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

 

“Right. Sure.” Niko said, lying down on the couch and closing her eyes. It had been a long day and she was getting pretty tired-

 

**Hey Niko, I finished that thing I was working on!**

 

She opened her eyes, annoyed by John’s timing.  _ What is it, John? _

 

If he noticed her tone tinged exasperation, he had the grace not to comment on it.  **Oh you know, just a little work on the triangulation of your home universe.**

 

That got her attention. Niko sprang up into a sitting position, ears standing up straight in excitement.  _ Really? How close are we how many jumps left how much longer-  _

 

**Easy, easy. Don’t get yourself too worked up, there.** John said.  **This is complicated stuff, it isn’t always certain, it’s hard to just quantify in simple numbers.**

 

_ Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all a hundred times already.  _ Niko grumbled.  _ Please tell me that it’s good news this time?  _

 

**Well, that depends on your definition of good.** John hedged.  **What if I told you, that the next jump has a pretty good chance of taking you straight home?**

 

Niko froze, mind working furiously.  _ Straight home? In just a couple of days?  _ “YES!” she shouted, jumping off the couch with enough force to make the tired springs squeak in agony.  _ Thank you thank you thank you John! It’s happening, finally!  _

 

**Glad to hear all that hard work I spent paid off.** John said, leaning back in his chair and cracking his knuckles.  **Just a little bit longer and you can introduce me to your parents.**

 

_ Yeah… It’s honestly kinda weird thinking about it now. I’ve been away so long it’s hard to remember what it’s like back home.  _

 

**We’ll deal with that when we come to it…** John said, browsing through his message history.  **Niko? What happened earlier this afternoon? You were seeming awfully upset about something.**

 

_ Oh. Well, I saw through Wraith’s power and it sorta… surprised him pretty bad. He’s still arguing with the Major about it.  _

 

**Crap. Why didn’t you say anything earlier, Niko? My work isn’t that important.**

 

_ It’s not… I just wanted to try and handle this on my own.  _ She admitted shamefully.  _ Because I’m not gonna be able to rely on you forever, but then everything just got worse and worse- _

 

**Hey, it’s okay.** John said soothingly.  **Don’t worry about pushing yourself to live up to some overblown expectation. Nobody’s perfect- I probably would have made the same mistake if I was advising you. Didn’t know Wraith was so touchy about this- I’m writing this down for later.**

 

_ So you aren’t upset?  _

 

**Of course I’m not upset! I’m glad you’re trying to take initiative and do things on your own. It’s… good to see you growing up, I guess. Just promise me that if you’re ever in danger that you’ll let me know right away. Two heads are better than one, you know.**

 

_ I know, I’ll remember.  _ Niko sat back down, the abused springs screeching again under her weight.  _ Only a couple more days before I see Mama and Papa again- I can hardly wait.  _

 

**Me too, Niko.** John sighed.  **Me too.**


	17. Chapter 17

Mickey’s Bar was cool and air conditioned, a huge relief from the hot autumn outside. Blitz- no, he was Jose out of costume, just an ordinary mild mannered bartender. Anyway, Jose was incredibly relieved to be freed from the uncanny feeling of marinating in his own sweat. 

 

The sun was setting, shining in through the tinted windows and leaving long golden stains along the floor and the bar’s surface. A collection of bottles glinted as Jose continued his work, reorganizing his stocks for tomorrow. It had been a slow evening, with only a few customers scattered about here and there. Perfect for relaxing and unwinding after the long day he’d had, with patrol and visiting the boardwalk with Niko.

 

Even though he only worked a few hours a day, Jose still got paid quite well for his congenial nature and graceful showmanship while mixing drinks (thanks to some subtle help from his power.) His boss, Daniel, had owned the place for almost twenty years. To him, it wasn’t about the money or the fame, but a dedication to his dream and loyalty to his regular customers. 

 

And at the moment, three of those regular customers were encircled around a table, speaking in low, hushed tones. Their faces were low and grim, their drinks forgotten when compared to whatever issue they were discussing. 

 

Jose wiped down the smooth varnished wood of the bar, doing his best to take pride in his work. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy his job, on the contrary it was usually a lot of fun. The slow evenings gave him plenty of time to think, and the occasional rush whenever a big sports game came on was pretty exciting, with orders piling in just as fast as he could complete them. 

 

_ It just feels kinda… pointless.  _ He thought to himself, putting the rag away with a well practiced flourish.  _ Compared to going out as a cape, anyway. Sure, it’s relaxing here, and it helps keep my identity secret, but I could be out punching people right now. And making more money than I do here, too.  _

 

The men continued the conversation, one of them withdrawing a folded clip of money and laying it on the table. Jose stepped up to the bar and began cleaning glasses, doing his best to listen in while still being inconspicuous.  _ Guess I spoke too soon.  _ he grinned internally.  _ Moments like these are what I live for.  _

 

As a bartender, even in a not particularly popular one like Mickey’s, Jose was in an excellent position to overhear all manner of conversations. The fact that anyone would be more talkative with several drinks in them didn’t hurt either. While most the information he gleaned was completely useless, every now and again a priceless tidbit relating to the gangs was right there for the taking. 

 

The three regulars were wearing dark suits, somewhat rumpled and showing the beginnings of stains from sweat. But the fourth man was comparatively calm, wearing an easy going smile and a cream-colored jacket as he patiently tried to calm his compatriots down. He stood out like a sore thumb. 

 

_ That guy… I recognize him! _ Jose thought to himself, mind racing as he continued cleaning mindlessly.  _ There’s no doubt about it. That’s Richard Anders!  _

 

There had been a press conference a week or so ago, where the self-made millionaire who’d gotten rich from the real estate market had announced his intention to refurbish the dilapidated Manchusen building for the sake of his new medical company. 

 

“The Bay is a city in need. Both medically and economically.” Anders had said to a host of cameras and microphones.  “Not only will this new venture bring many new jobs to our community, but it will also serve as a positive influence and a testbed for the expansion of our company in the future. We will serve as an example, to anyone willing to follow!” 

 

Jose had to admit that the man had a way with words. Anders also seemed to have a way with money and business, considering both his past history and the long line of investors who were practically beating down his door.  _ But that just makes me wonder why someone like him is in this bar, talking to a bunch of nervous loan sharks. Something stinks, and it’s not the liquor. _

But before he had the chance to find out what exactly was going on, the bell above the front door rang, signaling the entrance of another customer. The three dark suited men lifted their heads, worry written across their faces. Richard Anders turned slowly, a coy half smile on his lips as he nodded to the newcomer. 

 

Jose set down his glass. “Hey, Neil. How’s it going? Did you catch the game earlier?” 

 

“Couldn’t.” Neil responded, scraping his boots off at the door before walking up to the bar. If he noticed the glares the loan sharks were giving him behind his back, he didn’t show any signs of caring at all. “We got rained out, sadly.” 

 

He was a big man, at least six foot ten, and he was quite muscled, even by Jose’s high standards. Jose had met him a couple years back at a local soccer game, and they’d become fairly close friends ever since. Neil sat down atop a barstool, which creaked nervously under his weight. 

 

“Oi, don’t go breaking the poor thing just yet!” Jose chided. “They’re expensive, you know.” 

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” the big man chuckled. “Besides, I won’t be here too long.”

 

“Oh?” Jose asked, picking up his rag and continued wiping down the last few glasses. “And here I was thinking that you cared about me or something.” 

 

“Hilarious.” Neil deadpanned. “I’ll have a bourbon on the rocks, thanks.”

 

“For the life of me, I’ve got no idea how you can stand drinking this crap straight.” Jose said, uncorking the bottle and pouring a glass. “I mean, it’s almost as bad as motor oil.” 

 

“The secret is to get it over with as quickly as possible.” Neil winked, grabbing the cup between three fingers and downing the bourbon in one gulp. It looked like a child’s toy in his oversized hands. 

 

“Another?” Jose asked. “That is, if you’re really up for more of that…”

 

“Nah, I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, a hangover’s the last thing I need.” Neil said, waving Jose and the bottle off. “Especially considering that we’re getting the guys together tomorrow for a little foosball.” 

 

Jose’s heart skipped a beat. “Where were you planning on meeting up?” he asked, doing his best to stay calm and relaxed. 

 

“Somer’s Rock, around noon or so.” Neil said, adopting an unassuming mien. “Just figured we could shoot the shit, you know. Especially about the Chargers and their losing streak.”

_ There’s no questioning it- he’s talking about Galvanate and the Mafia. Makes sense, considering the feds are finally getting ready to move in on him.  _ Jose thought.  _ Somer’s Rock means the meeting’s on neutral ground, so there’s likely to be some of the more opportunistic villains there, after their own pieces of Mob territory.  _

 

“Great. I’ll be sure to let my buddies know.” Jose said, telling Manpower subtly that Blitz and the Major would be there and were willing to back him up. 

 

“Of course. I’ll be seeing you then.” Neil nodded, getting up with another protesting creak from the stool. “Put it on my tab, Jose. Hasta luego.”

 

“You don’t pronounce the ‘h’, you tourist!” Jose ribbed good naturedly as Neil strode towards the exit. “If you’re going to appropriate my culture, at least put some effort into it!”

 

Neil laughed, closing the door behind him with another jingle of the bell. Jose relaxed behind the bar physically, but his mind was still whirling.  _ Considering how Galvanate’s been getting too big for his britches, Legend might be visiting Chicago for the bust. Which is good overall, but that means that his lieutenant here’s going to be making a power grab. And of course, that might mean an open gang war, which will kinda be defeating the whole point…  _

 

He finished cleaning the glasses and moved on to checking the fridge.  _ I guess we’ll just have to work out some kind of truce. At least until Snapping Turtle and the rest of the Mafia aren’t a threat to both sides of the law.  _

 

-

 

Wraith sighed as he leaned back in his chair, rolling his shoulders and stretching his legs. It was getting late, and sleep was beginning to tug at the corners of his eyes. The sun had already set, clouds once again obscuring the stars. At least it wasn’t raining any longer.

 

His conversation with the Major had been mainly focused on the possible threat that was John- specifically, how the man could see through a power as indiscriminate and fast acting as Wraith’s. 

 

He had played devil’s advocate, arguing that they had no real reason to distrust John based on how little they knew about him. Unfortunately, the Major had also said that they had no real reason to trust him, especially considering that their trump card against John in the form of Wraith’s power was now proven to be useless. 

 

The conversation had been at an impasse, and with no real way of knowing for sure what to do next, the Major had started meticulously recording every bit of information he knew about Niko and John in case the worst should come to happen. Wraith had spent the last half an hour finishing that assignment while the Major went out on his solo patrol from the rooftops. 

 

With a cramp in his writing hand and a mighty need for food in his stomach, Wraith activated his power and got up from his chair. Striding over to the fridge and opening the door, he was face to face with the other half of Niko’s omelet, only slightly less delicious-looking than it had been when freshly cooked that morning. 

 

Just when he was trying to decide if he should heat it up in the microwave or just eat it cold, a voice from behind him made him jump. 

 

“I said you could have some earlier, remember?” Niko said, standing in the doorway behind him, the light from the living room obscuring her face in shadow. “You don’t have to hide everything, you know,” 

 

Wraith spun on his heel, reflexively clutching at his chest as his heart raced. He’d never reacted well to being surprised, especially from behind, and his knees felt weak and wobbly. He must have scowled in an involuntary response, because Niko shrunk backwards in a manner disconcertingly similar to that of a kicked puppy.

 

“Wait.” he held out his left hand, arresting Niko’s movement as she tried to shrink behind the corner. With his right hand, he placed the omelet down on the counter safely. “I’m not mad, you just startled me.” 

 

Hesitantly, Niko took a step forward, and this time he could clearly see the apprehension and uncertainty on her face.  _ If we are in any danger, it’s definitely not from her.  _ Wraith thought.  _ She’s too genuine, too honest for all of this to be an act unless she’s the greatest liar of all time.  _

 

“I’m sorry I scared you yesterday.” she said quietly, staring down at her shoes. 

 

“I’m sorry for overreacting.” Wraith responded, stepping over to the kitchen table and sitting down. “My power’s… almost like a security blanket to me. I’m used to it, to how it works. And for that to just change out of nowhere-”

 

“That’s why I’m so sorry.” Niko said, sitting down in the chair opposite to him. “I should have known.”

 

“I’m not gonna hold it against you.” Wraith said. “My mom always told me not to let the past rule our futures. ‘Let the dead bury their own dead,’ so to speak. I never was that good at it, honestly. But I’m willing to try.”

 

“John said the same thing when I told him about what happened. I guess I just thought that everyone would think that I’m wasting their time.” Niko sighed.

 

_ That couldn’t be further from the truth.  _ Wraith thought. “What’s it like? To see through my power?” he said.  _ If I try to just comfort her, she’ll probably brush it off. But if I can get her thinking about something else… And I’m curious about it too. That helps.  _

 

“Oh. Well, I’m not exactly seeing through it, really.” Niko said, gesturing animatedly as she continued to explain. “I forget about you like everyone else. John sent me a reminder, and then I started to fill back in old memories of you that I lost from earlier. It’s not everything, but it’s most of what got lost.”

 

“And what about when my ‘invisibility’ is active?” Wraith asked. “Because I was invisible when I opened the fridge and you still noticed me. That’s why I got so spooked, I wasn’t expecting anyone to notice me.”

 

“Well, I can’t see you at all.” Niko said. “Even with John’s reminder, there’s still this… hole which I can’t focus on. I’ve got to look at the edges- footsteps, smell, air currents, and the fact that the fridge door was open. It’s still just an educated guess, but I don’t know any other invisible people who might be robbing our fridge.”

 

Wraith raised an eyebrow. “Our fridge? You’ve only been here a day and you’re claiming squatters rights already?”

 

“I’m sorry! That was just a slip of the tongue!” Niko said, flailing her arms desperately as she tried to explain. 

 

“Hey, hey, it’s all good.” Wraith said dismissively. “As long as that omelet of yours is half as good as it smells, you can take partial ownership of our fridge any day. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility.”

 

“Great responsibility?” Niko asked quizzically. 

 

“The greatest responsibility of all!” Wraith said, pointing upwards triumphantly. “Cleaning duty. We trade off every weekend.”

 

Niko adopted a small, cat-like grin. “Ha! Joke’s on you, I’m leaving before the weekend even starts so I won’t have to clean at all!”

 

Wraith laughed, even as the discussion derailed from cleaning to cooking techniques to exotic places and foods they’d both eaten.  _ All this time I was afraid that someone would just look right through me without even noticing. And when Niko remembered me, all I felt was fear. But now- like this- all I can do is wonder…  _

 

_ Why was I so afraid to begin with?  _

 

The omelet, even when cold, was still delicious. 


	18. Chapter 18

Niko awoke to the sound of the doorbell ringing, her luminous eyes snapping open in an instant. 

 

**Are you kidding me?** John grumbled. **What a pain…**

 

Niko sighed. John was never much of a morning person.  _ Still.  _ She thought, as she rolled out of bed.  _ Never hurts to be prepared. _

 

Silently, she snuck up to the door, standing on her tiptoes to look through the peephole and observe the face of the Interrupter of Sleep. 

 

_ John?  _ She said. 

 

**What?** John grumbled, searching through a thick pile of documents for his latest series of notes.  **Who is it? I’d rather not waste more time on dealing with this than necessary.**

 

_ There’s no one there.  _ Niko said, double checking through the peephole to be certain that her sleep-filled eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. 

 

**Okay.** John said, any signs of exhaustion or frustration gone in an instant.  **Starting proximity scan with Occam's Razor. I’m not noticing any movement since the doorbell rang, so whoever rang it is still in front of the door.**

 

_ But I’m not seeing anyone there at all!  _ Niko argued.  _ Are they invisible, or are they just really really short?  _

 

**Not sure. Searching for possible weapons… Not seeing anything. Searching for hostile intent or undue nervousness…** John paused. 

 

_ What?  _ Niko asked impatiently.  _ What’re you seeing?  _

 

**Open the door and see for yourself.** John said, with no small measure of amusement in his voice. 

 

Niko hesitantly reached out for the doorknob and turned it. 

 

**Go on, don’t be shy.** John encouraged. 

 

With a deep breath, she threw the door open and stood face to face with a housecat with a small basket around its neck. 

 

Niko blinked.  _ John? Why is that cat here?  _

 

**At first, I was wondering the same thing.** John said, trying and failing to avoid sounding smug.  **But once you have all the pieces it’s child’s play to put them together. If you begin by using the method of-**

 

Niko crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. 

 

**Fine, fine, suck all the fun out of it, why don’t you.** John groused.  **It’s a messenger here to deliver a letter.**

 

Niko crouched down, closer to eye level with the cat. It was an orange and white calico cat, with deep sea green eyes and a well-cleaned coat of fur. “Hey.” she said, for lack of any other introduction. “How’s it going?” 

 

The cat looked back at her with half-lidded eyes, like it wasn’t even worth the effort to yawn in response. Somewhat flustered, Niko decided to focus on something else. “Is that basket around your neck for me?” she asked. 

 

The cat shrugged off the basket, and walked away with a dismissive flick of its tail. Niko placed her hands on her hips and pouted deeply.  _ Rude!  _

 

-

 

The four of them stood around the kitchen table, staring at the letter as a group. Niko had to stand on a chair to be roughly the same height as everyone else. 

 

“There’s no doubt about it.” The Major said. “There’s a meeting at Somer’s Rock. We’re being invited.” 

 

“Manpower told me about that yesterday.” Blitz grumbled. The others ignored him. 

 

“Good to hear.” Wraith said, rubbing the kinks out of his neck. “Am I on spy duty again?”

 

“Absolutely. Be sure to bring plenty of backup tapes.” The Major ordered. “I want every second of that meeting recorded and transcribed today.” 

 

“Why did a cat give us that letter?” Niko asked. “I mean, it’s cape stuff, so I’m guessing there’s a cape out there with a lot of cats?” 

 

“Someone who we like to call ‘Cat Lady.’ No one knows if she’s actually a cape or not.” The Major said, depositing the letter in a filing cabinet. “It’s possible her cats are just really well trained, but that’s unlikely. She has no public identity that we know of. I doubt she even goes outside.”

 

“I could probably find her.” Wraith boasted. “Probably. Not sure how long it would take though, I’ve got better things to do with my time.” 

 

“And I’m sure that you’re also being respectful of her right to privacy by leaving her alone, right?” Blitz said, gently elbowing Wraith in the ribs. “Because I’m sure that you’re nothing short of upstanding and respectful to all our citizens.”

 

“‘Course I am. Don’t have time to waste on messing with people.” Wraith said. 

 

“Enough chit-chat.” The Major declared. “We’ve got an appointment to make at eleven. That means all hands on deck preparing.”

 

“Sir?” Niko asked, one hand half raised as she’d been trained in class. 

 

“Don’t call me sir.” The Major sighed. “I work for a living. What is it, Niko?”

 

“Is it alright if I come along with you? I’ll wear the helmet, and I won’t say anything.” she asked.

 

The Major glanced over to Blitz, who returned an almost imperceptible nod. 

 

“Sure, that’s not a problem. It’s neutral territory and there’ll be other heroes there in case something unexpected happens.” he said with a shrug. “Just try not to look too closely at Wraith or someone’ll get suspicious. He’ll be blending in and gathering information like he usually does.”

 

“Yes sir!” Niko said cheerfully. And the Major couldn’t quite bring himself to reprimand her for calling him sir again. 

 

-

 

By the time that eleven in the morning rolled around, the rain had beaten a temporary retreat, leaving the skies overcast and grey. The passersby that she saw walked the sidewalks briskly, heads down and umbrellas at their sides.

 

If she were superstitious, she’d think that the weather was a bad omen. But she had faith that the rain was just rain. Even though John was still busy preparing for the Jump, he was, without a doubt, still watching out for her from above. 

 

The truck pulled over into a parking space, long walls of old two-story businesses lining the street on either side. The Major and Wraith got out of their front seats, followed by Wraith, who swung the back door open and hopped out. He pulled his hood up over his head, before seeming to disappear into thin air. 

 

Niko blinked, and managed to redetect him a few feet away, leaning casually against a telephone pole.  _ John, that counter-program you made works. Thanks! _

 

**Nice.** John offered in reply, his mind clearly distracted by his work. 

 

With a shrug, Niko put the white helmet Blitz had given her on, fitting it snugly over her head. The Major had explained that she should stay right next to Blitz and avoid attracting attention. That was perfectly understandable- even if this was a neutral zone, tensions and tempers between opposing forces would run high. Besides, she had a lot of practice not being seen.

 

There weren’t many other people around- if you didn’t count the few watching eyes from second floor apartment windows.  _ Mostly everyone must have stayed home because of the rain.  _ The few cars Niko did see were parked near their truck- in front of a greyish sign that read ‘Somer’s Rock.’

 

The bar (or was it more of a pub?) was nondescript, already showing the signs of years of age. 

 

**Isn’t describing something as being ‘nondescript’ kind of an oxymoron? Just saying.**

 

_ Quiet, John. Aren’t you supposed to be working on stuff? _

 

**Fine, fine. Holler if you need anything.** __

 

As the three of them- no, four, counting Wraith- walked closer, Niko felt a strange sense of excitement warring with the nervous butterflies in her stomach. This would be the first time she had met such a large number of super-powered people. It made her want to quiver all over just thinking about it.

 

Also, she realized she hadn’t remembered to ask  _ why  _ this meeting was happening. She was tempted to just ask John, but reasoned that it would be more interesting to simply figure out the situation on her own. It would be more interesting that way. Like a surprise!

 

Inside, the yellow lights were dim and the air had a slight tinge of smoke to it. The wooden floor and the bar itself were varnished a rich red color, contrasting with the dark green curtains and the leather of the booth chairs. 

 

It wasn’t a particularly fancy place, but it wasn’t a complete dive either, Niko judged. Average and ordinary, and it didn’t seem to get too much business. The perfect location for a meeting about secrets 

 

There weren’t any servers or cooks that Niko could see. Or customers, for that matter.  _ I wonder if they kicked everyone else out because of the meeting.  _ Niko wondered. In fact, there was only one other person visible- a man in an apron wiping the bar down with a cloth. As they stepped closer, he looked up to greet them with a small, practiced smile.

 

The bartender stepped around from behind the bar to greet their party. “Good to see you, Major,” he stated, shaking The Major’s hand brusquely. “Everything should already be in order,” he gestured to the group of tables put together to form a place for two dozen people to sit.

 

Platters of chicken wings and french fries sat at the corners, ensuring some food was within arms reach of everyone. Niko was glad she’d just eaten, or the delicious smell would have been hard for her to resist.

 

“I’m guessing ‘Cat Lady’ handled the arrangements this time?” The Major asked, eyebrow raised. The more Niko heard about that mysterious maybe-cape, the more she wanted to talk with her- or him, no one seemed to know for sure. 

 

The bartender nodded genially. “Along with the payment; she also messaged us, saying ‘It’s The Major’s turn to pay next time.’” 

 

The Major sighed as he drew a small envelope from his coat pocket and counted out a sheaf of bills. “If we’re still going counter-clockwise, wouldn’t it be Marquis’s turn to pay next time?” 

 

“We’ll be certain to send him the bill.” The bartender said. _ Was that a joke?  _ “Now, I had better be going.” Without another word, he crossed the room and left through the back door. 

 

“The staff don’t want to accidentally hear anything they’re not supposed to.” a quiet voice whispered in Niko’s ear. It was all she could do to contain a shriek of surprise. 

 

“Niko? You alright?” Blitz asked, concern audible from underneath his helmet. 

 

“I’m fine,” Niko said, rubbing her arms with a shiver. “Just felt a little chill.”

 

Blitz stared for a brief moment before nodding, his movements slightly exaggerated to make up for his concealing helmet. “Let’s get over to a booth. You want my coat?” he asked. 

 

“No, I’m fine now.” Niko waved him off, burying her hands in her pockets. “Thanks.” 

 

She sat down on one side of the booth. Blitz sat next to her, in between her and the rest of the room. And then she realized that Wraith was sitting across from her, hood removed and smiling smugly. 

 

_ Darn it, Wraith!  _ Niko was tempted to say, but she remembered not to draw any attention to him and blow his cover. So she settled for giving him an intense glare of frustration instead. 

 

He shrugged theatrically. “What can I say? Figured you might like a little trivia because you’re new. It’s not like you have anything else to do while they’re talking, right?”

 

Niko glanced over at Blitz nervously, to see if he had heard any of that. Blitz was keeping a watchful eye over The Major, who had taken a seat along one side of the table. The military man sat there alone, his hard blue eyes contrasting with the red bandanna covering his lower face.

 

“Don’t worry, they won’t notice a thing.” Wraith said casually, turning her attention- and gaze- back to him. “Normal conversation isn’t out of the ordinary enough to get people’s attention. Usually.”

 

Niko couldn’t find it in herself to glare at him, so she simply sighed.  _ ‘What do you want?’  _ She mouthed silently. 

 

Wraith gestured toward the tape recorder sitting on the table. “Well, I already got this set up to record the meeting, so all we have to do is wait. The boss-” he shot a thumb over his shoulder in The Major’s direction- “always has to arrive half an hour early if he can. To everything.” Wraith groaned. “It gets real old, real fast. Hopefully, someone else’ll show up and the fun can begin.”

 

Niko raised an eyebrow questioningly.

 

“Well, it’s fun for me.” Wraith explained, looking slightly defensive. “Look, there’re about a dozen regulars who’ll show up, and a few strays here and there. You see a guy you want to know about? Just point ‘em out and I’ll give you the 411, so to speak. Been studying them all the time, and I know ‘em for sure unless they’re new or something.” 

 

Niko wasn’t sure what a ‘four one one’ was, but she got the general gist through context. She was always interested in learning about new people, and she knew John would be happy to hear the new info as well.  _ Why not?  _ She nodded in agreement. 

 

“Awesome.” Wraith grinned. “Just a couple of quick rules for the meeting, in case you didn’t know. No fighting on neutral ground, obviously. That extends to people coming or going.”

 

Niko nodded. If people couldn’t be certain that they were safe, then the ‘contract’ that made the neutral ground neutral would dissolve. Their fear and anger towards each other would overcome the fear of reprisal- John had told her that.

 

“And, of course, we don’t meet like this unless there’s something big going down.” Wraith’s face had changed from its normal grin to a quiet stare. “Something big enough to have heroes and villains running scared. If you don’t come to a meeting like this, you’re so big you don’t care, or you’re planning to run and hide.”

 

Niko thought over Wraith’s words, trying to puzzle out what could possibly be the cause of this serious conflict. But before she could come to a conclusion, the other capes began to arrive- alone or in pairs, they put their umbrellas away by the door. Most of them remained there, chatting with each other nervously. Some scattered to the booths in the far corners of the room, clearly trying to stay out of the central field of the conflict. And in the middle, seated impassively, The Major continued to stare them all down unflinchingly. 

 

Niko felt somewhat underwhelmed. She’d expected something- well, she didn’t know  _ what  _ she’d expected, but she’d hoped that there’d be people courageous enough to sit at the big table, to look each other in the eyes and talk like adults. 

 

“Don’t get too disappointed yet, Niko.” Wraith said, eyeing the crowd. “The Major’s one of the informal mediators around here- the big cheeses, ya know? So is ‘Cat Lady’, but it’d take the end of the world to get her to show in person. But there are a couple of others…”

 

The crowd parted like the Red Sea, as the miscellaneous capes darted out of the way of a new arrival. Niko sat up and paid attention as he came into view, striding forward confidently. 

 

“There he is,” Wraith said grimly. “The man himself.” 

 

He was tall and slender, his long brown hair and clean-shaven face giving him a somewhat androgynous manner- one that was quickly punctured by his ornate red clothing, tufts of lace sprouting from his cuffs and his neck. Niko could see the gleaming of a ring on his finger, and wondered if he really had a family or not.

 

Finally, things were beginning to get interesting. There was no doubt in Niko’s mind that this was one of the big names in town that Wraith had mentioned. She felt excitement well up within her, as she waited eagerly to see what would happen next.

 

Silence had fallen across the room. Niko glanced around to see every eye on the newcomer as he approached the table, coming to a stop directly across from The Major. Even Wraith looked distinctly nervous as the two stared each other down, like two gladiators in the arena.

 

“Major.” he said calmly, reaching for a chair. 

 

“Marquis.” The Major returned, his quiet words somehow filled with an icy hate. 

 

Niko shivered. This time, she could feel the chill in the air. 


	19. Chapter 19

Objectively, the room was no different from before. But Niko couldn’t help but feel that the lights were growing dim- that the walls were closing in. 

 

The normal, ordinary sound of people speaking had given way to a deep and terrible silence. Everyone in Somer’s Rock watched, petrified, as the Major and the Marquis stared each other down. The other capes had been hesitant to take seats before, but now they seemed straight-up terrified of getting closer to that table.

 

Even more people had arrived, filling the space near the door and spilling over into the booths bordering the room. A few brave souls stood somewhat closer, but they were clearly unwilling and apprehensive about stepping forward. 

 

Niko wasn’t naive. This man must have had a good reason to be feared, and a good reason to be confident. In this world of heroes and villains, Marquis was almost certainly a powerful  figure, villain or otherwise.

 

She briefly thought of asking Wraith for clarification, but reconsidered. As the young cape looked at Marquis, his jaw clenched with hatred. 

The silence continued. 

 

The Major’s stare seemed accusing, but he made no attempt to speak- because both of them already knew what he wanted to say. An accusation that he must have made many times already.

 

Marquis raised an eyebrow, almost quizzically. Even though he knew, must have known why they hated and feared him, he played at being ignorant. Niko could see why it could be infuriating. 

 

And the first one to break the silence clearly felt the same way, his fists clenched and eyes trembling behind his mask. 

 

“Why’d you kill him?” he whispered, taking a step out from the crowd toward the table. Even Niko could tell his costume looked cheap and homemade, red rubber gloves and bright colored tights cast in the image of some ancient comic book.

 

Marquis didn’t even turn his head in acknowledgement. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”

 

The young hero grit his teeth. “My friend Shatterstar.” His voice was raised now, beginning to tremble as rage and sorrow fought for dominance. “Last Tuesday, on patrol. I watched you- peel his ribs open, like-” The emotion overcame him, as he slumped forward. His eyes were hidden, but his sobbing practically echoed in the silent room. 

 

Everyone present was watching the twisted farce as it played out before them.

 

A complicated expression passed over the Major’s face as he braced himself to speak. “Son, it’s not your fault.” The gentleness in his voice seemed almost at odds with the tension and fear everywhere else.

 

“You think I don’t know that?” The half-hysterical response came as the hero threw his head back, wobbling on limp legs. “It’s _his_ _f-----g_ fault!” 

 

Niko winced internally.  **Easy there, cowboy.** John said distractedly, censoring the offending word from her ears.  **There are children present.**

 

Marquis made no move to defend himself, even as aggressive stares confronted him from all directions- with the exception of the Major. 

 

The aging hero’s complicated expression deepened. “I think that you had better leave.” The Major said. 

 

The young hero straightened. “Thank you, sir-”

 

“Not him.” The Major corrected. “You.”

 

The young hero’s rage reached the boiling point. “Why does he-” he gestured to Marquis, with a voice that was barely less than a scream, “get to stay! This monster _ kills _ and  _ tortures _ -”

 

“Go. Home.” The Major’s eyes narrowed to slits. “It ain’t worth your life, son.”

 

The young hero turned away with a bitter scoff. “What life?” He stepped to the door, and the crowd parted for him as well. 

 

As the door swung open, he turned and gave his parting shot. “If this is what being a cape means, I’m out!” The door crashed closed with a loud slamming sound, rattling the glass in it’s frame. An uneasy silence fell over the capes gathered there. 

 

The Major gave a loud sigh as he slumped back into his chair. Marquis continued to sit impassively.

 

And Niko wondered how much of that confrontation had been predicted.

 

“You probably already guessed, but the renaissance fair reject’s Marquis. Don’t know that other guy’s name.” Wraith said, resting his chin on his hands. “He controls his own bones to fight.  Holds a lot of territory against other villains and heroes all on his own. As much as I hate the guy, he sure isn’t weak or stupid.”

 

Niko nodded for Wraith to continue, as she could see the desire to rant visible in his eyes. 

 

“It really grinds my gears because he acts like he’s soo honorable, because he has ‘rules.’ He doesn’t hurt women and children. And if anyone tries to betray or fight him on his own territory, he flays them alive. Ain’t that hypocritical.”

 

Just the mental image was enough to make Niko shudder. 

 

“But that’s the thing. We can’t stop him by ourselves. And because he keeps to his ‘rules’ and fights lots of other villains, he ends up stopping lots of crime on his own.” Niko saw the frustration in Wraith’s eyes. “In my eyes, he’s a monster. You know what they say, ‘better the devil you know than the one you don’t?’”

 

Niko nodded. 

 

“Well, I understand that we ‘need’ him.” Wraith mumbled. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

 

“Enough.” The Major raised his voice, shifting his attention to the crowds that remained at the edges of the restaurant. “This meeting is so we can come to an agreement about Snapping Turtle and his subordinate mafia members in the Bay. If you have anything you wish to add to the discussion, now’s the time to make yourself heard.”

 

The various capes murmured amongst themselves. Niko could see a disturbance over by the door as it swung open, people being pushed aside-

 

“Out of the way, out of the way-  _ Real Villain  _ coming through!”

 

With a mighty, overacted gasp of exertion, the offending individual popped out from between two particularly large individuals and slumped to his hands and knees on the floor, breathing heavily. 

 

“I humbly apologize for our tardiness.” he said between gasps, his voice lilted and breathy. as he staggered back to his feet with a rollicking, drunk-like gait. “The traffic was positively  _ murderous. _ ”

 

He was tall and slender, facts that were accentuated by the colorful vertical stripes on his pants and sleeves that made him resemble a clown before anything else. He wore a leather bomber jacket, with a distinctly garish pink fur muff around his neck. Atop his head was a WWII era pilot helmet, it’s goggles helping to conceal his identity while leaving his admittedly impressive handlebar mustache visible. 

 

The Major regarded the newcomer cooly. The Marquis did not see fit to even turn his head in acknowledgment.

 

“That’s Robber Baron,” Wraith explained, gesturing to the three similarly dressed individuals who were struggling through the crowd to reach their leader, “and his ‘Robbies’. They’re small time crooks, playing at being dashing highwaymen and cat burglars. All fur coats and no sense between the four of ‘em.”

 

In spite of Wraith’s doubts, Robber Baron confidently strode up and took a seat at the table, legs crossed and arms folded as he stared down his nose at everyone else. His three identical henchmen took up similar positions behind him, almost like they were posing for publicity pictures.

 

Niko’s curiosity was piqued.  _ ‘What’s his power?’  _

 

“Dunno. He likes to play up the whole ‘master of disguise’ angle, but I’ve seen his costumes. He couldn’t fool a blind man with those.” Wraith frowned in thought. “He might not even have a power, honestly. He uses the Robbies and other people to confuse the cops, makes it so they don’t know who’s who and what’s what until he’s long gone with the loot. The outfits, the drama and acting- it’s all just a distraction.”

 

Niko studied the Baron as he began to regale the captive audience with some presumably farcical story of his, gesticulating wildly. The Robbies laughed at the right times, and a few others on the outskirts chuckled. Even if it was all just an act to hide his true intentions, she could appreciate someone who didn’t take themselves too seriously.

 

As if some invisible line had been crossed or a spell had been broken, a few other capes began to step forward toward the seats tentatively. 

 

Two men in complementary hero-esque spandex, one towering over the rest of the crowd in height. The giant needed two chairs to support his weight, and even then, the wood let out a squeak of protest.

 

“Beefcake is Manpower, and ordinary guy next to him’s Flashbang. Heroes, like us. Manpower’s… well, it’s pretty obvious. Those muscles aren’t for show. Flashbang can blind people by shooting balls of energy. I think they’re friends with Jose? They seem pretty cool.”

 

Another arrival, a person in full plate with what looked like a multitude of tiny fish hooks all over the armor’s surface. They opted to stand, probably to avoid scratching the chair.

 

“Oh, there’s the new guy in town. Hook… Knight? I think?” Wraith struggled to find anything of note to say. “Well, they sure look like a knight. Covered in hooks. Not sure about powers, probably something hook or bait related, I don’t even know. Next cape.”

 

A man wearing a trenchcoat, a trilby hat, and a white full face mask slouched into a seat while everyone was distracted by another arrival. He clearly was going to great lengths to avoid attention, but ironically that made Niko more interested. 

 

“The Man. Yes, that’s what he calls himself- because ‘you can’t beat the man’, get it?” 

 

Niko didn’t get it.

 

“Yeah, it’s a stupid joke, I know. He’s a slippery bastard, goes out of his way to avoid showing what he can do. Been around for a long time though. Longer than me, maybe even longer than the Major. So he definitely has a trick or two up his sleeve.”

 

And the last to step up to the table was another large man- distinct from Manpower in that he was wearing a dark grey  EOD suit over his entire body. Even his face was covered by a thick steel plate, with two tiny holes drilled for him to see out of. He had a drum-mag shotgun on a strap around his neck, letting it hang casually at waist-height. Like Hook Knight, he decided to remain standing rather than damage a chair with his armor.

 

“New guy in town.” Wraith frowned. “Not sure who he is. But he’s gotta be pretty tough to walk around in a hundred pounds of armor like that.”

 

“What’s your name?” The Major asked. 

 

**“Bulldozer. Mercenary.”** The EOD suited cape replied, his booming voice filtered through his armor. The Major raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press the issue further. Robber Baron chuckled to himself. A few others continued to talk quietly amongst themselves.

 

All of the table’s seats were filled- with one conspicuous exception, sitting alone and empty. A space, left unfilled.

 

“Looks like Snapping Turtle decided not to come out and play.” Robber Baron tittered, and his Robbies laughed in response.

 

**“What a surprise.”** Bulldozer replied.  **“He’s a lot of things, but he ain’t stupid enough to walk in here.”**

 

The other capes at the table gave nods of agreement.

 

“Before we begin the meeting in earnest…” The Major said, “Do you have anything to say, Marquis?” 

 

Marquis folded his arms and gave a somewhat condescending smile. “Nothing in particular, really. It’s your turn to pay, so it’s your meeting to lead.  _ My _ policy hasn’t changed, if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

This time, it was Manpower who spoke up. “If any hostile Mafia members enter your territory…” he said, his voice a low bass rumble.

 

“I’ll deal with anyone who enters my territory while armed.” Marquis replied, his eyes hard. “You all tend to your business, and I’ll handle mine.”

 

Niko wondered if a cape, who by definition possessed an innate power, would be considered always armed by Marquis’s standards. 

 

The Major seemed to accept those terms, as he continued without acknowledgement. “As most of you already know, the Mafia has run multiple gambling and money laundering operations in Brockton for the past decade. Recently, they’ve stepped up to involvement in the international drug trade.”

 

“That isn’t a surprise. We are a major port city, after all.” Manpower replied, his body language suggesting impatience. 

 

“Ultimately, we don’t need to go into depth about  _ what  _ the Mafia does- I feel we can all agree that their control over the city is bad for business.” The Major said. “Which is why-” He reached under the table and withdrew a manila envelope, thick with papers. “I’ve been collecting this dossier on their operations. Locations, personnel, everything. There should be enough copies for everyone who’s interested.”

 

Niko watched as the people at the table began to pass the sheets around, handing some off to others in the booths. Manpower and Flashbang read through it quickly. Robber Baron gave it a glance, and began folding it into a paper airplane out of disinterest. Bulldozer scrutinized the paper, holding it up close to his visor so he could see it. 

 

“I also should probably inform you that this information has also been given to the BBPD, as of last-” 

 

The Major was cut off as the entire room erupted into argumentative shouting. The obviously criminal like Robber Baron, were angrily accusing the Major of selling them out. Some others seemed to have valid questions, but there was too much chaos for anyone to make themselves heard.

 

The Major sighed, bracing his hands under his chin. Marquis shot him a wry grin, a rare moment of understanding between the two.

 

**Okay, I’m done for now.** John pinged, turning his attention back to Niko and Somer’s Rock.  **And it looks like I’m just in time for the fight, what’d I miss?**

 

_ The Major gave everyone information about the Mafia, including the Police.  _ Niko explained.  _ And a lot of people didn’t like that.  _

 

**Yeah, that’s a bit of an understatement.** John said, clearly watching the shouting match escalate. Several people had gotten out of their chairs by now to yell at their opponents up close.  **I just... don’t know anymore.**

 

_ Don’t know what, John?  _

 

**I don’t know if this is even going to work.** John explained, frustrated.  **At first, I thought all we needed was to get Cauldron the right information and they’ll handle it. But even if Cauldron ‘saves the world’, there are still more and more capes triggering every year. Even if Scion is stopped with minimal casualties, all those triggers won’t be controlled or regulated anymore. What’s going to stop all the capes from just tearing everything apart on their own?**

 

_ Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but…  _ Niko struggled to find the right words.  _ Capes are still just people. Some of them are good, and some are bad. And most of them just want to protect themselves, and their families. I dunno, maybe I’m just being idealistic.  _

 

Niko remembered her first adventure with John, and clenched her fist in determination. 

 

_ But we saved a world already, even though everyone else thought it was impossible! You didn’t give up then, John.  _ Frustration welled up from somewhere deep inside her. _ Are you telling me that you’re giving up now? _

 

**I’m not giving up just yet, Niko..** John’s voice was tinged with exhaustion.  **But what if it’s... all just a waste of time? What if there is no point?**

 

Niko didn’t know what to say. She had never seen John like this before, and it scared her a little to think about it.

 

_ Then- at least we did  _ something _. At least... we can say, ‘we tried.’  _ She offered, kicking herself for not thinking of something better.

 

John didn’t answer.

 

The argument was reaching a fever pitch. Even people like Manpower were throwing their two cents into the ring. Blitz palmed his face, or rather, he palmed his helmet. “Honestly…”

 

**CRACK**

 

The shouting and speaking smashed to an abrupt halt as Manpower’s body hit the floor with a  _ thud.  _ The broken remains of one of his chairs clattered, having split apart under his considerable weight. 

 

For a brief moment, there was silence.

 

And then someone began to laugh. It was Hook Knight, still standing there, beginning to clap slowly. It spread like an infection- Robber Baron howled, Manpower and Flashbang laughed, the Major chuckled, and even Marquis gave a small but genuine looking grin. 

 

The tension had snapped like a rubber band. Even though not everyone was laughing, no one was talking. And so, the meeting continued.

 

“While I have your attention- I’d like to apologise for contacting the police without notifying everyone else first.” The Major said, the low light emphasising the stress lines on his face. “To tell you the truth, the issue is being forced by factors outside of our control.”

 

“That would be the Feds planning a raid against Galvanate and the Chicago Mafia, I presume?” The Man said, shifting into a normal sitting position. 

 

“Correct.” the Major replied. “And I have it on good authority that Legend will be volunteering his services for the operation next week.”

 

A number of individuals gasped. 

 

“Obviously, the other Mafia splinter groups are aware of this imminent raid.” the Major continued, withdrawing another sheet showing a map of the US. “They intend to pack up their operations and go to ground, taking their money and contraband with them.”

 

“And how does notifying the police help us?” Robber Baron asked with a frown. 

 

“The police have legal authority and the manpower to set up roadblocks and investigate the shipping for any signs of-” 

 

“I mean, how does the Mafia being arrested benefit  _ me?”  _ Robber Baron explained. “I want them out of town, sure, but I really don’t have a reason to care how that happens.” Looking around, Niko could see a number of people voicing their agreement.

 

Noticing the crowd’s reticence, the Major adjusted his tactics. “Allow me to clarify. I’m not asking you to help. I’m asking that you don’t interfere until the whole thing’s over with. Can we agree to non-agression until the Mafia is no longer an issue?”

 

Manpower, Flashbang, and a number of the other assorted characters raised their hands near immediately. Robber Baron spent a short period of time deliberating with his Robbies, before they raised their hands as well. The Man did so with a sigh. 

 

Marquis did not- possibly because he had already promised to protect his territory. Bulldozer also abstained. As a merc, he might value the money too much to make a non-aggression agreement.

 

“Majority rules.” The Major declared. “You all know how this works- if anyone decides to start something, most of us will be there to shut you down. Contact me if you’re interested in helping to take Snapping Turtle down.”

 

Niko thought that Manpower and Flashbang would volunteer for sure. Maybe The Man and Bulldozer would fight the Mafia, but they probably wouldn’t work with the Major. It was worrying that the heroes were outnumbered by neutral and villain capes at the Table.

 

“Does anyone else have anything to announce?” The Major asked. 

 

**“I’m looking for a job in town.”** Bulldozer rumbled, reaching into a pocket and removing a stack of business cards.  **“Call me if you need something shot.”** A few people walked by and picked one up.

 

Hook Knight left the table without a word, melting back into the slowly-departing crowd.

 

The Man disappeared without a trace. Niko wasn’t sure if he’d used his power, or if he was just a naturally evasive person.

 

Manpower and Flashbang waved goodbye to Blitz as they left, who gave a friendly wave back. Wraith rolled his eyes and looked away. 

 

And then Marquis raised his hand. The few capes left in Somer’s Rock went silent. “Major.” he said in a low voice. “I noticed that you brought a guest along.” 

 

His gaze bored into her, and Niko felt a strange tenseness in her chest. She could see Wraith stiffen and Blitz rise to his feet. 

 

The Major remained impassive, icy blue eyes staring the villian down. “A friend of ours, goes by the name Niko.”

 

“Come now, Major.” There was no emotion in Marquis’s smile. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the type to take strays in.”

 

The Major’s jaw stiffened in barely concealed rage. “There are many things that you don’t know about me, Marquis. This isn’t the time-”

 

Marquis arose from his chair in a single fluid motion. Wraith took an involuntary step backwards. “It’s always a good time to meet a new cape.” he said, stepping towards Niko. “How have they been treating you?”

 

Niko’s ears were ringing, and it took her awhile to realize that he had asked her a question. She was grateful for her helmet concealing her facial expressions. “Everyone’s been very nice to me. And I’m not a cape.”

 

Marquis frowned. “Truly? Then why are you here, then?”

 

That was an easy question to answer, and it helped calm Niko down “I wanted to see what it was like here. I was curious.”

 

Marquis grinned. 

 

Niko staggered forward as  _ something  _ brushed against the side of her head, knocking her off balance. Her helmet fell away, cleanly split into two halves by an offending blade of bone that quickly retracted back into the ground. 

 

The Major arose from his seat and drew his pistol in one smooth motion-

Blitz charged forward, already mid-punch-

Wraith drew both his knife and baton-

 

And all three of them froze in their tracks as they were surrounded by sharp spikes of bone, the points only inches away from their throats. 

 

Marquis’s face was slightly pained, but he remained composed as he took a step closer to Niko.

 

Niko found herself petrified with fear as his hand descended towards her head.  _ John!  _

 

And then she blinked in surprise, as Marquis began to comb through her hair with his fingers. “If you aren’t a cape, then you should go home.” He said in an unexpectedly gentle manner. “If you keep staying with  _ them _ and coming to places like  _ these _ … your parents will end up very sad. Okay?”

 

Niko couldn’t find the words to say anything at all.

 

Marquis took a step back, and released the bone spikes with a snap of his finger. The Major rubbed his neck and shot a death glare at the man. 

 

“What?” Marquis asked, exaggerating his shrug of offense. “You know that I don’t hurt women or children.”

 

“Then what the hell was that for!” Blitz hissed through clenched teeth. 

 

“A show of force. It’s the only language we all share.” Marquis turned away toward the door. “And you need to remember- keeping Niko with you will only end with someone getting hurt.”

 

The door’s bell jingled as it swung closed on a silent and empty room.

 

“Let’s go home.” Blitz said. No one argued with him.   
  



	20. Chapter 20

“Are you alright up there, Niko?” Blitz asked, sitting against the bottom of the tree and glancing upwards. “I mean, I’m ready to catch you anytime if you fall or something.”

 

“Don’t count on it!” Niko taunted, leaping up onto the next branch with the ease of an acrobat. “I always land on my feet!” 

 

**You know, when you said you wanted to visit the park, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.** John said amusedly.  **I was expecting something a bit more…**

 

_ Serious? Dramatic? Productive?  _ Niko offered, gently tiptoeing along the branch to the trunk, where she lept up to the next branch. 

 

**I was going to say exciting. Like having Blitz push you on the merry go round.**

Niko shuddered.  _ Just thinking about spinning that fast makes me want to throw up. And then I’d probably fall off and end up halfway through a tree from the inertia.  _ Another jump up to a branch, and an agile flip of her body around it to end up on top. 

 

**Come on. You know I’d never let you get hurt.**

 

_ So what’s the safety of me climbing this tree then?  _

 

**One hundred percent. Blitz said he’d catch you. He’s got his temporary speed boost ready and everything. This really brings me back- my brother loves climbing trees. Way more than I do, anyway.**

 

Niko pulled herself up onto the final few branches of the pine tree, one arm wrapped around the increasingly tiny trunk and another shading her eyes as she scanned the horizon. 

 

**Not a bad view.** John commented. And Niko was willing to agree. Sure, it couldn’t compare to  the sights she’d seen on other worlds, but the view of the park from the top of it’s tallest tree was still quite a sight to behold. 

 

The sun was bright and high in the sky, reflecting with sharp glints off the pond. Distant sounds of laughter echoed from the playground, already occupied by young children. And the sky, with only a few small clouds, was a brilliant gold-  _ Wait, gold? What?  _

 

It was if the whole world had gone silent. The sound of the wind through the tree’s leaves stopped. The sounds of the children playing stopped.  **Oh crap.** John whispered. 

 

Blitz rose to his feet, looking up at the sky. “He’s here? Are you kidding me? The golden dude himself?” he said under his breath. 

 

Niko looked around frantically.  _ It’s Scion? He’s here? Right now? _

 

**No, it’s Monty Python and his flying circus- YES IT’S SCION.** John shouted, sweeping all his papers off his desk to make room for a single file folder.  **First of all, stay calm and don’t move-**

 

But whatever he was going to say was cut off by the sound of air displacing as Scion appeared, floating a few feet above the top of the tree. His skin was pure, luminescent gold, with hair and beard of darker and more coppery material. His white toga was immaculate, and Niko was utterly unsurprised to see that he was just as clearly muscled as the stories had said.

 

The one thing that neither of them were fully prepared for was the look of sadness and sorrow in his eyes, like an overwhelming shroud covering everything around him. His power and majesty only reinforced this, and Niko flinched backwards in shock as she realized tears were rolling down her cheeks. 

 

**Even when I know the truth…** John said quietly.  **It’s still sad. No, it’s even worse like this.**

Scion descended towards her, one hand outstretched.  **Scion, the hero. Scion, the savior. Scion, the man who lost his purpose, his partner, everything he cared about. And now, all that’s left for him to lose is his sanity.**

 

He was floating across from her now, his hand still extended. Niko brushed the tears from her cheeks and did her best to look back. Scion’s face was set in stone, almost mask like. But his body language and gesture clearly indicated he wanted her to step forward. 

 

**I should have known he’d notice us sooner or later.** John lamented.  **After all, he’s got shards for everything. Shards for days. There’s no way he wouldn’t notice us punching a hole between universes-**

 

Niko took Scion’s golden hand. It was smooth and surprisingly warm- and in the space of an eyeblink, they were both standing on the ground next to Blitz, who threw himself backwards like he’d just burnt his hand on a hot stovetop. Sensing that his work here was done, Scion returned to the upper atmosphere and flew off, presumably with another target in mind. 

 

“Oh my God. You’re a cat. And he just rescued you from a tree holy crap-” Blitz said, his speech becoming far too fast for a human mind to comprehend. 

 

Niko reeled mentally.  _ Eh? I don’t get it…  _

 

John continued laughing.  **He-he’s he he he crap can’t stop laughing okay He’s famous for rescuing cats from trees? Because he doesn’t prioritize problems at all, to him a single person’s bad day can be just as important as a nuclear reactor meltdown. He’s always traveling the earth, looking for people to help. And here I was, thinking things were going to go straight to crap…**

 

Niko did her best to slow her breathing. Honestly, it was pretty funny, but she had been pretty scared for a bit there.  _ I hope this helped you realize that your paranoid suspicions aren’t always right.  _

 

John grinned.  **Never. Being suspicious isn’t a state of mind, it’s a way of life!**

 

-

 

Wraith stiffened as he heard the sound of the front door opening, quickly tucking the pie back into the fridge and shutting the door.  _ Crap, crap crap! They weren’t supposed to be back for another half hour!  _

“Wraith? You in there?” The Major’s gruff voice echoed through the apartment. 

 

“Just in the kitchen, working on supper!” he replied, placing the whipped cream and cherries on the table. 

 

“Great to hear, I’m starving!” Blitz said, turning the corner. ‘Did you get the pie ready?’ he whispered. 

 

‘Not yet. Distract Niko for another two minutes tops, please?’ Wraith begged. ‘I’m almost done.’

 

‘Gotcha.’ Blitz responded “Okay, considering that it’s your last evening visiting, Niko, how about I tell you about the time that I-” 

 

_ Alright.  _ Wraith thought, continuing to decorate and garnish the pie.  _ Hard to believe it’s already been three days. I’m really going to miss her. Funny, considering how we were practically at each other's throats when we met back there in that alleyway.  _

 

He carefully placed the cherries atop the whipped cream.  _ Actually come to think of it, did we ever ask if Niko likes cherries? What if she’s allergic?  _ In the other room, he could hear Blitz finishing up the story. “Anyway, that’s how he lost his medical license!” 

 

_ No time to worry about it now.  _ Wraith grabbed the pie and made for the living room.  _ She’s a person that loves giving things to other people. Even if she doesn’t like it, she’ll understand what we mean. That’s just the kind of person Niko is.  _

-

The Major was completely ignoring the TV in favor of listening to Blitz’s story. Well, he had already heard the story at least ten times, so he already knew it by heart practically. Instead, he was watching Niko’s enraptured expression as she hung on every word out of his friend’s mouth, gasping in shock at the plot twists. 

 

_ She’s a very honest person. What she thinks, she says. What she feels, she acts on.  _ The Major mused to himself.  _ And she’s optimistic without being naive. I was worried about her, and maybe I was right to do so. But if I’m being honest with myself, I think that we needed her help a lot more than she needed ours.  _

 

Blitz finished the story with a pithy one liner, eliciting a burst of near hysterical laughter from Niko. She was pounding the couch with a fist, tears almost leaking from her eyes.  _ We fight as hard as we can to keep people safe and happy. It’s easy to forget what that actually means at times, lost in an endless web of fights and information. Thank you Niko, for reminding us what it’s like to dream about heroes again.  _

-

Blitz was telling an old, old story of his for the umpteenth time. Even he wasn’t sure about the reality of all the details that had occurred in it, and he was pretty sure his friend still had his medical license. At least, he hoped that he wasn’t practicing medicine without one… 

 

Anyway, he barely even needed to think about telling the story at this point. It was practically second nature to him. And hearing Niko laugh made it almost feel like he was hearing it for the first time all over again.  _ I’m really going to miss her.  _

 

He sighed internally.  _ It was really nice having someone else who appreciates bad puns- but it’s not just that. She knows when to take something seriously, but doesn’t wear things out by doing it all the time. Like right now, for instance. Sure, it’s a big universe out there, but we’ve had a good time. We’ve had a great time, honestly. I’m sure she’ll be back, eventually, even if it’s just to say hi or something. She won’t forget about us. There’s no way we’d forget about her. _

 

Blitz looked over his shoulder impatiently.  _ Where’s Wraith with that pie? This is supposed to be a celebration, dammit!  _

-

Niko rolled over on the couch, her stomach hurting from laughing so hard. “Okay, okay, calm down!” she said to herself. “Wow, that was a great one, Blitz! Do you know any more stories?” 

 

“Sorry, I’m afraid I only have the one.” Blitz said. “At least it’s a really good one, no?”

 

“It was incredible! Especially the part where he was all ‘nothing interesting happens in this town’ and then Boom! In come the two guys with guns and suddenly he’s ‘well, I guess this is my fault tempting fate’ it was amazing.” Niko gushed. 

 

“Okay, sorry it took so long.” Wraith said, coming out of the kitchen with something in his right hand that looked suspiciously like a pie tin. 

 

_ Pie?  _ “Pie?” Niko asked, switching from lying down on the couch to sitting up in an instant. “What kind?” 

 

“It’s chocolate ice cream and caramel.” Wraith explained, handing her a thick piece. “I picked it up, but I forgot to ask what kind you’d like, so I hope it isn’t too bad.”

 

Niko had already chowed down on a large mouthful, making various noises of delight. “Ish good!” she mumbled. “Rolly good!”

 

**Stop talking with your mouth full!** John screeched.  **Do you want to choke?**

 

Niko swallowed guiltily.  _ Sorry, sorry.  _

 

“Well, that’s great to hear.” Wraith said, sitting down on the couch with a smaller piece of his own. “I would have felt like crap if I’d gotten you something you didn’t like. You want some, Major?”

 

“No thanks.” he replied. “I already had my share of sugar for the day. Unlike the three of you, I have to put effort into maintaining this chiseled physique.”

 

“Wait, was that just a joke? From The Major, legendary serious man of hard decisionmaking and careful planning?” Blitz said jokingly. “Say it ain’t so!”

 

“What are you talking about?” The Major replied with a small smile. “I’m a real funny guy. I make jokes all the time.”

 

“Well yeah, but deliberately?” Blitz retorted. “You’re more the comically serious unintentionally funny guy. Just caught me off guard.”

 

“Well, this is a party. Might as well do what I can to lighten the mood however I can. Besides, we’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” The Major said.

 

Niko finished eating her piece of pie.  **You barely even had time to taste it with how you were wolfing it down!** John chided.  **There’s no big hurry!**

 

_ You’re one to talk, Mr. eats all his meals in ten minutes or less. _ Niko replied smugly.  _ You don’t get to call me out unless you’re not being a hypocrite.  _

 

As John turned away with a huff, Niko decided now would be a good time to speak up. “It’s funny you said that, because tomorrow's a big day for me too.” 

 

“What’s going on?” Blitz asked. “I mean you are going to another world, but you do that all the time. Is there a special occasion happening or something?”

 

“I… guess you could say that.” Niko said, feeling suddenly anxious. “John told me that he’s finally gotten the coordinates figured out. I’m- I’m going home tomorrow. If everything goes well, of course.”

 

“Awesome!” Blitz said. “That’s some grade A news right there, glad to hear it! This calls for more pie!” 

 

“Well, I was planning on just giving Niko the rest of it…” Wraith admitted. “Do you have a refrigerated compartment in that bag of yours somewhere?” 

 

“Huh? Oh, sure. It’s right here.” Niko said, opening it up and showing where to put it. 

 

“Is everything alright, Niko?” The Major asked, looking deeply at her. It wasn’t an unkind stare, but it still made her feel uncomfortable. 

 

“What do you mean? I’m excited about finally going home and seeing my family again? Who wouldn’t be?” Niko said in a rush. 

 

“It’s all right to be nervous.” he continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “We’re friends, so you don’t need to put on a mask around us. You’re excited, sure, but you’re also nervous.”

 

Niko bit her lip. “It’s not that I don’t want to go home. Traveling like this’s been awesome, but I’d be happy to be back home and get Mama’s pancakes again. It’s just… I’ve been doing this for so long it’s sometimes hard to remember what things were like before. Like, every day I cook and clean for myself, plan out how to stay out of trouble, try to think of how and where I can help people out… It’s all completely different to what things were like before. And I’m not sure if going back’s going to be easy, you know?” 

 

“I think I know what you mean.” Blitz said. “When I was your age, soccer was my life. And now, all I’ve got time for is watching one game a week. My power just makes it unfair for everyone else.” 

 

“Leaving things behind is a part of growing up, Niko.” The Major sighed, reminiscing. “The question is what you leave behind and why. I’m not going to lie- someone with your power can make a huge difference out there.”

 

Niko opened her mouth to protest that it wasn’t actually  _ her  _ power, but closed it. After all, the distinction was frankly academic. 

 

“But it has to be your choice to make. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, especially since you’re so young.” The Major continued. “We’re not exactly the best examples of restraint, or healthy amounts of work, or overall sanity for that matter. But your parents, and your friends are there for you. Take their help, don’t hide from them. Don’t do what I did when I was a kid.”

 

Niko’s eyes were watering again, and this time it wasn’t from hysterical laughter. “You guys… really must think I’m a baby.” she said. “I’m crying again just because you’re being so nice…”

 

“Don’t feel like you’ve got some standard of machismo or stoicness to look up to.” Blitz said, patting her on the back comfortingly. “Crying just means that you’re honest with how you feel. You’ve got to let it out around people that you trust- and I’m really glad that you trust us. You’re welcome to crash on our couch any time, Niko.”

 

“Well, don’t stop by too often.” Wraith said, half-seriously. “The kitchen floor’s still kinda uncomfortable no matter how many blankets you put on it.”

 

“You guys…” Niko said. “Thank you. Thanks so much for everything. It’s really been fun!”

 

“I’m glad you think so.” The Major said. “It... has been nice.”

 

“Whoa! First an actual joke, and now a genuine expression of joy and good feeling?” Blitz said with excited overacting. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Major!”

 

“Yeah, yeah!” Wraith said, getting in on the joke. “It’s your job to be the voice of reason- and depression!” 

 

“Knock it off, you two.” The Major said. “Or else it’s potato peeling duty for the next week for the both of you.” But he was still smiling. 

 

_ John?  _ Niko thought as the laughter and jokes continued.  _ Did you know that any of this would end up happening when we first came here?  _

 

There was a short pause before he answered.  **The same as usual, bits and pieces. Things did go very well, almost better than expected, honestly.**

 

_ Well, that’s always a relief.  _ She sighed.  _ So what happens now?  _

 

**I already finished those tapes, I’ll drop ‘em off when you Jump out. After that, I figured I’d give you a week off at home before we decide what to do next.**

 

_ Really?  _ Niko cried in dismay.  _ A whole week? I thought I’d get to introduce you to my mom!  _

 

**I think that both of you will have your hands full without my complicated master plan muddling things up.** John said knowingly.  **Trust me. You’ll appreciate it. Also I’m exhausted, it’s been weeks since I’ve gotten a full night’s sleep.**

 

_ Makes sense when you put it like that…  _ Niko grumbled. 

 

**It always does.**

 

The party continued for another hour, Niko taking over and holding the three capes spellbound with tales of adventures on other worlds and daring last second escapes. Blitz was taking notes, Wraith was grinning ear to ear, and the Major looked somewhat pensive in the manner of a parent watching his child skydive for the first time. 

 

It was a spectacular evening. The type of which Niko hadn’t had in weeks. And even though there were threats on the horizon and portents of doom in the shadows, for that time, all four of them were happy. 

 

Niko left for home fifteen minutes later. 


	21. Chapter 21

Blitz watched the faint glow of the teleport circle fade away, a strange combination of blue lines and runes that disappeared as quickly as it came. 

 

Niko was gone.

 

And he realized that nothing was left behind to prove that she had visited them.

 

A feeling of emptiness welled up inside him as time continued to pass and the Major and Wraith began to clean up the food from the impromptu party. At some point, he slumped down onto the couch, head half-buried in his hands.

 

Niko was gone. There were no two ways about it. She had left with apologies all around, but she was still excited about her imminent return home.

 

She couldn't explain how or why her ability to jump between different worlds and alternate universes worked. Or, for that matter, why she hadn't been able to travel home until now.

 

What Niko did explain was that her ostensible partner John handled those things. John controlled the jumps. John wasn't able to send her home until now. 

 

John, in Blitz's opinion, was sounding more and more like someone that was stringing Niko along. 

 

While he could admit he didn't know enough to solidly conclude anything about John (if he was a man or human for that matter), he only trusted John as far as he could throw him. Which, considering super strength, was pretty damn far. 

 

Blitz leaned back into the couch and pinched his nose, trying to stifle his growing headache. He hadn't realized how attached to Niko he'd become in just a few days.

 

Was it the result of some misguided paternal instinct? That was a scary thought, for some reason. He'd only been in a relationship for less than a year, and he didn't have any plans to have kids. He wasn't certain if he'd make a good parent or even a mediocre one. 

 

And the idea of being involved in this whole mess of a situation made him feel... he wasn't exactly sure how to put it into words. Niko was not from his world. She was also, technically, not even human. 

 

Besides, he'd rather aspire to be the cool, eccentric uncle. That role had just enough closeness to feel satisfaction and demanded less responsibility for how the kid’s life turned out. There was a lot more he could get away with, too-

 

Blitz shook his head in frustration. What was he even thinking about? Why did he even care so much about this? Was his life really that empty that he'd just latch on to the first new person he met, like they were a member of his family or something? 

 

Was that Niko's true power, to make people love and care about her so quickly-

 

And here he was again, theorizing baselessly, mind turning over and over, twisted reflections bouncing back and forth in a hall of mirrors. Blitz opened his eyes, looking around fruitlessly for anything to distract him from fruitlessly thinking about Niko.

 

He glanced over to the stack of videotapes beside the TV, mostly old action flicks from the thrift shop. The Major had purchased a tape player for work purposes, to play recordings of evidence. It hadn't seen much use on that front, considering audio recordings were much easier to obtain and edit.

 

Even the mindless violence of a cheap action flick seemed preferable to dwelling in reality at the moment, so he half-walked, half-staggered his way over to the tower of tapes and reached for one at random. His hand closed around a case-less tape, and he stared at its hand-written label blearily.

 

The tape wasn't one he recognized. The handwriting of its name wasn't the nearly indecipherable scribbles of Wraith, or the Major's precise cursive, and it certainly wasn't anything he remembered writing. He was pretty sure he'd remember writing something like this.

 

The label said  To The Major and Associates in a loose, blocky script. Below that name, appended with a tiny cartoon heart, was the name  John . 

 

Blitz grit his teeth. “Son of a-”

 

He slammed it down on the TV table, pawing through the remaining– and collapsing– stack of tapes.  Lethal Weapon ,  Terminator ,  To Contessa/Boogieman, Doctor Mother, and the rest of Cauldron \- yes, that last one was definitely not like the others. 

 

Also, it was signed by John in the same handwriting, addressed to a number of people he didn't recognize. He had no idea what ‘Cauldron’ meant, but it reeked of conspiracy.

 

Blitz frowned and turned the Cauldron tape over to look at the front label. The note on that side read,  Don't even think about watching unless this is addressed to you. PS: This means you, Blitz!

 

_ Okay, that’s enough.  _ He slapped the tapes down on the table. This had just become an issue far too serious to handle alone. The Major had to be informed.

 

-

 

“I don’t like it.” The Major declared, arms folded as he stared the tape down. The tape, being inanimate, did not return his stare.

 

“You think it’s a trap, Blitz?” Wraith asked, worry crossing his face.

 

“Hell if I know.” Blitz sighed, picking the tape up and turning it over in his hands. “It doesn’t look or feel different at all.” He pried the side flap open and stared at its inner workings. “It’s just an ordinary tape.”

 

“We can’t assume that, Blitz.” The Major chided. “We don’t know how it got here, what it contains, or why John would want to send it to us. Hell, who’s to say if it’s even from John in the first place?”

 

“I think Niko might have left it behind.” Wraith said, lost in thought. “She’d be in the perfect situation to do it, none of us were watching earlier.”

 

“But that just raises more questions. How did she get it? How much does she know about John?” The Major argued. 

 

“Look, none of this is actually helping us learn anything.” Blitz said, dropping the tape back on the table. “Either we can keep arguing about stuff we can’t prove, or we can watch the video and find out.”

 

The Major glared. Wraith sighed. 

 

“Well?” Blitz asked. “Anyone have any better ideas?”

 

“If we end up getting haunted or something, I’m blaming you.” Wraith accused.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.” Placing the tape into the player, Blitz then pressed the play button.

 

At first, there was only silence and the faint crackle of static. Then came the unpleasant screeching sound of feedback, followed by someone tapping on a microphone. The screen remained black.

 

“Testing. Testing, one two three… This piece of antique junk had better work or else that’s a whole afternoon wasted…” It was John speaking. The man’s voice was fairly deep but otherwise unremarkable. He didn’t sound like anyone important.

 

“Oh, it’s recording. Awesome– only took five tries too. Okay.” He let out a long sigh. “Let’s get this over with quickly. If you’re hearing this tape, then you are in the middle of a crucially dangerous and difficult situation because your world, Earth Bet, seems to perpetually draw the short end of the stick.”

 

“Now, I had a whole long speech all written out and ready to go, explaining the whole thing. It was perfect. But, then I remembered that showing is better than telling. Don’t just take my word for it- see for yourself. Here’s some news footage from 2011 and onward.” Blitz could tell John was grinning. “Have fun.”

 

“-eneral Konrad has authorized the mobilization of the Marine Corp Reserves, 77th Division, to reinforce the cordon surrounding the Madison Quarantine Zone.”

 

The footage was blurry and unsteady, the work of an amateur. But the trenches and the gun emplacements and the thick carpet of razor wire between the camera and the city was unmistakably clear.

 

The Major could see the soldiers, sitting under ponchos to stay out of the rain. Behind the trenches and emplacements were a number of APC’s, prefab buildings, and chemical toilets. 

 

“The number of individuals attempting to leave the cordon has increased by forty percent over the last six months compared to…”

 

The announcer continued to talk, but her words didn’t reach his ears. 

 

Two spindly figures staggered into the open from behind one of the distant skyscrapers.

 

Men rose to alertness, someone began shouting over a loudspeaker. Guns were readied, their barrels all pointing inward.

 

The two continued forward and his heart sank. Even if they made it past the two fences and the razor wire, there were still the trenches and the men that filled them to contend with. 

 

The garbled sound of a heavy machine gun opening fire signaled the end of the clip, as the cameraman ducked and scrambled to turn off the camera. 

 

The Major heard a faint crack and looked down at the broken TV remote, held in a white-knuckled grip. 

 

_ If they’re showing that nation-wide… then what aren’t they showing? _

 

And then the satellite photos appeared. Most of Japan and large amounts of the Philippines, gone beneath the waves. The same went for Newfoundland and east Canada. The land that remained was twisted into unfamiliar shapes and forms. 

 

The city of Brockton, it’s buildings smashed and crumbling, it’s waterfront spilling over onto the land, it’s people gathered in shantytown tents, as seen from the hovering viewpoint of a news helicopter. Text along the bottom of the screen.  Relief Efforts continue after Leviathan Attack.

 

“There’s more, but I think you all get what I’m driving at, here.” John said as the footage continued, flipping past talking heads and colorful graphs. “The Endbringers show up and everything goes to shit. By 2011, global population’s just over three billion and falling. The good news is- and there is good news, don’t freak too much- is that there is already an organization planning and working to keep the world stable and safe. They’re called Cauldron, and because you guys seem like you know what you’re doing, it’s up to you to get this second tape full of vital information to them.”

 

Wraith leaned over, picking up the second tape with shaking fingers. “Do you guys think we should watch this one?” he asked. 

 

“No.” The Major and Blitz said simultaneously, sharing a glare as they realized that they’d echoed each other. 

 

“Don’t waste your time with the other video,” John said, the smug returning to his voice. “It’s classified, it’s cryptic, and it’s only for one person whose power lets them figure out what it means. You won’t get much use out of it.”

 

The Major grumbled something under his breath about how unfair it was to be insulted by a videotape, but he continued listening. All three of them were literally on the edge of their seats. 

 

“Cauldron sells powers and is responsible for the Case 53’s- the so called ‘monster’ capes. The three of you need to contact them, and give them tape #2. Of course, the methods are up to you to decide. Publically, they’re represented by Hero, Legend, Alexandria, and Eidolon. Contacting them counts as contacting Cauldron. If you’re interested in your continued survival, you’ll get on the issue as soon as possible before the Endbringers show up next year.”

 

“Gee, thanks for the warning.” Blitz remarked sarcastically. 

 

“You’ve got your work cut out for you. I can’t speak for you- but if I were in your shoes, I’d be wondering if Earth Bet is even worth saving.” John continued.  “Originally, Scion died and humanity was saved, but at the loss of billions of lives-”

 

The Major turned off the tape player, his movements slow and filled with exhaustion. “I think that’s enough for today.” No one argued with him. “Tomorrow we’ll start planning on how to contact Cauldron.”

 

Blitz rested his head in his hands, not bothering to look up as he spoke. “Then what?”   
  


“We work.” The Major replied, his voice growing stronger as he spoke. “We fight. We help people in any way we can. Who cares what some asshole from another dimension thinks?”

 

“Yeah, fuck ‘em!” Wraith shouted, getting worked up himself.

 

“Even if everything still goes to hell anyway, at least we can say we tried, we went down fighting. This is what we do, and nothing’s changed on that front.” The Major declared.

 

He had respect for John’s desire to get Niko out of the way of the fighting, assuming that he was telling the truth about that. And he could appreciate the warning, while still disliking the individual that had given it. 

 

But that was enough dwelling on uncertainty. There was work to be done.


	22. Interlude: Scion

The entity flew above the tops of the clouds, its white robes untouched by the supersonic wind surrounding him. 

 

Its eyes were opened wide, searching the land below it indefatigably through a hundred different methods of inquiry. The coldness or the thinness of the air failed to reach it.

 

There had been many cycles of study and preparation. The confluence of thousands of years of history and language from the bipeds that called themselves ‘humans’. 

 

It had created itself a body that would reflect their superstitions. It had built functions to emulate what they called ‘emotions’.

 

And now its companion was dead. The purpose it had fashioned itself for was gone. 

 

The cycle was broken.

 

It redirected its focus from the unchanging past. It had other matters to consider. 

 

Some _ thing  _ anomalous had happened to break up the monotony of this endless vigil.

 

Something unique, compared to the humans and their endless need for help. 

 

Something that not even it, in its nigh-countless years of memory, could recall.

 

A strange energy signature had appeared several cycles ago, high in  _ frequency  _ and low in  _ intensity _ , to describe it abstractly. The noosphere had been pierced in an instant, garnering the entity’s immediate attention.

 

Before it could narrow down the origin point beyond a generality, the energy disappeared. No, that was too light of a word. It had unraveled itself, retracting all of its ambient radiation back to its source, leaving no trace behind- clear signs of devilish ingenuity. If it had not observed the event, it would not have believed it possible.

 

The entity had, obviously, spent the most recent cycles locating the origin of the strange phenomena by brute force calculation. It did not need to know what use the display of power had, or what logic had justified its deployment.

 

It was simple. That power was something that should not exist- in this world, at least. It was not one of the entity’s _ ,  _ and it was certainly not from its companion.

 

There were a number of explanations, each problematic in their own ways. But as more and more evidence was collected, one result became a statistical likelihood. 

 

An _ interloper  _ had entered this world. 

 

It was not sure if the _ interloper  _ was another of their kind- or some different thing entirely beyond their knowledge.

  
  
  


But whatever it was, it could not run without giving itself away. It could not hide, from multitudinous eyes. 

 

There would be a reckoning soon.

 

It was only a matter of time, now. 

 

-

 

The entity’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. 

 

It had expected another one of its kind, with a different assortment of programs. Or possibly, some antediluvian terror from beyond the stars, somehow hiding itself away in this little corner of the world. 

 

Instead, it had found yet another cat stuck in a tree. The imbecilic things appeared determined to kill themselves. The entity wondered how they had managed to avoid extinction, living as they did. They spent all their time sleeping and licking themselves instead of doing anything useful-

 

But it was digressing. It would only take a minute fraction of its total energy to return the wayward feline to the earth, and then the search for the  _ interloper _ would continue.

 

 

Wait. Cats stood on four legs, not two.

 

And this one’s eyes were wide with emotion- shock, fear, pity...

 

The entity floated closer, out of an instinctive curiosity. It extended its hand. 

 

It took only a minute fraction of its total energy to return the wayward  _ Traveler  _ to the earth.

 

-

 

The entity flew above the tops of the clouds, lost in what could best be understood as thought. 

There was no concrete proof that this was the source of the anomalous energy structure, but circumstantially there could be little doubt. 

 

After all, who or what else could have been responsible? 

 

The cat, the  _ traveler _ was from another world. And the  _ interloper  _ was likely one of the entity’s kind.

 

It had not been obvious at first, but the subspace connections between the  _ traveler _ and the  _ interloper _ were among the most detailed he had ever seen. A great branching of intricate pathways, presumably to both send and receive information and esoteric forms of energy. It had seen the network light up in  _ recognition  _ and activity.

 

What was truly marvelous, was the apparent lack of any physical node to decode and translate the information. The entity- and its counterpart- had been forced to use the crude, makeshift solution of pre-prepared structures within the hosts that limited  _ bandwidth  _ and functional flexibility. 

 

Even though on the surface, the  _ traveler  _ appeared to serve a function, not unlike a  _ host _ to the  _ interloper,  _ it was hesitant to apply such a label to their relationship. While it was reassuring to see another who could possibly understand its vigil, both of them had reacted to its presence with a number of unwelcome emotions. 

 

Fear. Fear of the form of its physical avatar, or fear of beings like it?

 

Sorrow. While it was understandable for a physical/biped-type like the  _ traveler _ , why would the  _ interloper  _ respond in kind? Worrisome.

 

Pity… a misuse of valuable energy.

  
  


It was still wondering how to best approach the subject of negotiations when reality split again, peeling itself open and inside out.

 

The entity spun around, observing the pillar of high-frequency radiation fade.

 

The energy signature was the same as before. It could only assume that this meant the  _ traveler  _ had departed for parts unknown.

 

That was acceptable. The entity had hundreds of cycles before energy demand would become a serious issue.

 

The  _ interloper  _ had shown its hand, after all.

 

It could afford to wait.

 

-

 

Analysis continued. The method of departure it had witnessed was like a thin cut with a scalpel compared to its normal earth-shattering explosion. It had thought that method was the only way for an entity to leave a world and journey elsewhere.

 

If there was a possibility that it could learn how to use this power… 

 

It would be restrained by this world no longer. It could find another companion, make a new contract with them. 

 

And the cycle would go on, unbroken.


	23. Interlude: Niko

A/N: The following contains spoilers for OneShot, which is good and you should play it. 

You have been warned.

 

When she first awoke in an unfamiliar bed, underneath an unfamiliar ceiling, Niko's first impulse was to pull the covers over her head and cower in fear. The room was frigid, and a cold wind howled in the distance.

 

Of course, she got up and began to explore.

 

The staircase leading down to the basement was long and rickety, and the darkness grew ever deeper with each step she took.

 

Of course, she continued to descend it.

 

Her head swam as she trudged across the grey ash that covered the ground outside, eyes glazed and body limp. Her feet felt like they were moving on their own, driving her forward to places unknown.

 

Of course, she had no real choice in the matter. 

 

She could either stay behind and wait for the end to come, or keep moving- come what may.

 

The strange prophet robot told her that the lightbulb clenched between her numb hands was the sun. That she was the chosen one, prophesied to save the world. That she needed to climb to the top of the Tower and put the sun there so it could shine its light down upon everyone.

 

That 'their' god, %ERROR035NAMENOTFOUND, would guide her on her journey.

 

She thought that this prophet had a few screws loose. But she still closed her eyes and concentrated. After all, what else did she have to lose?

 

_ Hey, God? ...Someone? Is anyone there? _

 

Silence echoed throughout the endless dark, long enough that she began to lose what little faith she had to begin with.

 

**That is not my name.**

 

An almost electric surprise coursed through her spine. She leaped involuntarily.  _ Sorry! Sorry... What  _ is  _ your name, then? _

 

**...John.**

 

It was like a match had been struck- a blazing star appeared. The Lightbulb gave not just light, but heat as well, and she could feel it warm her hands. The dark and barren world around her was lit with a steady glow, so that she would not trip over an errant rock or step too close to one of the many cliffs.

 

And so she- no, they- began to explore. She noticed the broken shells of robots, the deteriorating buildings and the abandoned living areas. 

 

And whenever she found something of interest, she was certain to ask John what his thoughts were.

 

She gradually realized that John could not 'speak' to her, unless she posed a question to him first. Even then, he seemed to prefer to 'suggest' an action or item to her, communicating indirectly.

 

He guided her back and forth, to pick up bits and baubles here and there, that he seemed to believe would be necessary for completing their mission.

 

Their mission was to return the sun to its rightful place, atop the Tower. The Tower that stood far away, rising up from the ground among a distant city of other, smaller towers. The Tower that was so tall that it strained her neck from the fruitless attempts to see its top.

 

Even though John did not say so, she could tell he was confident. His directions were smooth, professional, efficient. Niko felt that he had done this kind of thing before, and she was encouraged by that feeling.

 

He guided her steps, he overcame her obstacles. 

 

He was her only constant companion, through the Barrens and the Ruins and the Refuge.

 

And when he vanished and she found herself alone again, the feeling that came to fill her heart could not be described.

 

-

 

A quiet evening, after the party had ended and relatives had left for home. One spent with one window open to Youtube and the other to Reddit- so you can already tell the kind of person we’re dealing with, here. 

 

John let out a sigh, scrolling down the long list of new posts. People shitposting, people complaining about people shitposting, comic uploaders, fanart reposters, and theories that he’d seen a dozen times already. Just another day in the life.

 

And then something new caught his eye. A post titled  Any other games like OOOOO?

 

After a brief pause, he decided he might as well check it out, and clicked on it. 

 

_ Ah. Another recommendation thread.  _ He sighed internally. All the obvious game candidates were there. OOO, and OOOO, and even OOOOOO. He remembered playing that last one back in high school on his old computer. Good times. 

 

There was nothing new here. John moved to close the window- when something caught his eye.

 

Craterbug- Have you tried OneShot?

 

He blinked, and scrolled down to see more. 

 

It’s kind of like OOOOO, but less action, more puzzles.

 

John didn’t really like puzzle games. 

 

I’d say more, but I’m not going to spoil anything! Anyway, it’s free over on OOOOO, so whatever. 

 

A number of other posters seemed interested, and one even claimed they’d beaten the game already. They also refused to go into details, claiming  this is the most emotional game I’ve played in years. 

 

John shrugged.  _ What the hell, why not. It’s free and I’m bored.  _ He clicked the link and started downloading the game. 

 

It looked to be standard RPG maker fare, with the usual files and setup. He opened the .exe- and paused at the title screen. _Where’s the load option?_ He wondered, toggling the cursor between start and quit. _There’s an empty space here too…_

 

Strange, but not that strange. John selected  start and within seconds, found himself staring down at a shadowy and dilapidated room, rendered in simple pixel graphics.  _ At least they didn’t just use the default tileset.  _ He thought to himself. 

 

The game proper began. He walked the character, Niko, around the room, finding the door locked and a computer on a desk. He collected the password numbers from different objects, he unlocked the computer, and a message appeared on its screen.

 

[It seems I’ve finally been found.]

[You’re both far too late. Nothing left is worth saving.]

[First, your decisions will have permanent consequences.]

[Second, you may quit whenever you’d like. This is permanent failure and  _ murder. _ ]

 

You have only one shot, John Smith.

 

_ What?  _ He stared at the system popup, his name underlined and accusatory. The  OK button at the bottom, waiting for him to confirm.

 

This was a joke. Right?  _ How did it know my name?  _ He thought, somewhat panicked now. His computer probably had that information buried away somewhere, but how had the game found it?

 

Niko remained in the room, confused and uncomprehending of the computer’s message.

 

John glanced over to the bright red X at the top of the window. An innocuous thing that he’d seen and used thousands of times before- now remade as a premonition of death.

 

The computer had been very explicit. If he closed the game, Niko would be killed.

 

There was no way that this could be real.  _ It’s just a game… A game, just like always…  _

 

But those words rang hollow.

 

He couldn’t risk it. If something happened to Niko that he could have prevented, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.

 

An innocent life, held in his hands. The feeling of a weight on his shoulders pressed down as a drop of sweat ran down his nose. 

 

John ripped his jacket off angrily. _Okay, bastard. I’ll play along._ He opened his browser, and began to type; OneShot walkthrough spoiler free. _You aren’t gonna be fair- so neither will I._

 

The first few puzzles were easy enough that he probably could have solved them on his own without the guide. He didn’t care. He wasn’t about to take even the slightest risk of messing things up or getting a game over. After all, there could be no continues if Niko was dead.

 

-

 

The two came to an old, ruined train car. Inside was a bed, just like the one Niko had been in before. 

 

“John, I’m really tired. Is it okay if I take a nap?” Niko asked, looking at the bed longingly. A confirmation prompt appeared. John hesitated, but he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

 

He hit yes, and the game promptly closed itself.

 

When John had pulled himself back to his feet and uprighted his chair, he found that the game had just saved and he could reopen and continue at his leisure.  _ Real funny, bastard.  _ He growled to himself. The game was just playing him, stringing him along. 

 

And he knew he had no real choice, other than to keep playing along regardless. As long as there was a chance of beating this game and getting Niko out safely, he’d take it.

 

-

 

Niko opened her eyes to find herself in the wheat field. She looked around her at the golden stalks, swaying in the breeze, and up at the bright blue sky above.  _ So it was all just a bad dream…  _ she thought to herself.  _ I’m back home again... _

 

And then she woke up, back in the train car. Back in the world without a sun.

 

“John? Are you still there?” she asked nervously. 

 

**Yes.**

 

“Ah. I’m awake.” She said, feeling slightly stupid.  _ Of course I’m awake.  _ “I had a dream just now.”

 

**I saw.**

 

“You did?” Niko said, surprised. “Wow!”  _ I was going to describe it, but now I guess I don’t need to.  _ She sighed. “...I really thought I was back home… Oh, the sun in my world isn’t a lightbulb. It’s a big ball of fire in the sky! I don’t think I would be able to hold it like the sun from your world…”

 

**This isn’t my world.**

 

“Huh?” 

 

**This isn’t the world I live in.**

 

“Really? ...ah, I guess not. If you’re the god of this world, you wouldn’t necessarily be  _ in _ it.” Niko remarked, remembering her papa and his logic lessons. “What’s your home world called?” And wasn’t that a strange question.

 

**Earth.**

 

“Earth? Like, the stuff on the ground?”  _ What a strange name _ . “...Wait, do you live underground?”

 

**No.**

 

“Ah, neither do we! But shrews and field mice and stuff do. Does your world have a sun?” Niko asked, remembering that she couldn’t even assume that much was true. 

 

**Yes. It’s also a ball of fire.**

 

“Really?” Niko said, imagining a Sun with a different color. Like blue or green. “Wow! Can you hold it?”

 

**...**

 

“...That was a silly question, wasn’t it...” she said sheepishly. “The sun in my world is very bright. Warm, too! You saw, right? But it goes away sometimes, at night. Everything gets dark, kinda like this world is now. But it’s okay because the sun always comes back the next day. That’s good, don’t you think?”

 

**My world is like that too.**

 

“Ah! Do you sleep during the night? We go to sleep, usually. But some people stay up and use computers! I… don’t have to explain what they are, do I?” It would be a long story, and involved a lot of big words she couldn’t pronounce right. “There’s a bunch of them in this world!”

 

**...**

 

“An-anyway, we should probably get going…” Niko said, taking John’s lack of a response as a desire to return to the journey. 

 

-

 

This world was dying. John had suspected it from the very beginning, but as he and Niko continued through the bleak and empty Barrens and the sinking Ruins, more and more evidence to support the theory became evident. 

 

Without the Sun, the Phosphor would no longer glow. The world would be plunged into an eternal darkness. Its inhabitants seemed to realize it as well, most of them growing fearful and melancholy as they awaited the end.

 

And as John was beginning to suspect, returning the Sun wouldn’t fix the rot, the decay, the general falling-apart of the land itself. Maybe the people who lived here could stave it off, keep up a ‘fighting’ retreat so to speak.

 

But when Niko had to outrun a tidal wave of glitched and corrupted data that blocked the tunnel between the Ruins and the Refuge behind her, the true nature of things was obvious. 

 

This world was dying. Not with a bang, but a whimper. The very fabric of reality was becoming threadbare, and inevitably giving way. He could see no other explanation.

 

-

 

Finally, they had made it to the ground of the Refuge. Niko’s head swam as she looked at the tall buildings on every side that blocked the sky from view. 

 

This was the first time she had been in a city like this. The people and robots that walked the streets strode about in a hurry, their heads down. She continued to walk, unsure of where she was going. 

 

And then she saw the waterfront, right next to the street. The water was a brilliant, luminescent red. 

 

**Must be Phosphor.** John guessed. 

 

A tall man in a suit and top hat stood by the railing, overlooking the water. He let out a sigh. 

 

“You alright?” Niko asked. 

 

“Ah, the messiah.” He turned to face her, but his eyes had no light in them. “Perhaps this is a sign. Tell me, do you think you can fix the world with the sun?”

 

Niko closed her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know… I’ve been getting mixed messages.”

 

“I know.” The man gave a wry chuckle. “But what do  _ you  _ think?”

 

“I think… I should listen to John!” Niko declared. “After all, John helped me get this far.”

 

“I will take your faith for an answer, then.” The man said, turning back to the water. 

 

“What do you mean by that?” Niko asked, confused. 

 

“It means whatever you think it means.” he replied with a wave of his hand.

 

**Let’s go.**

 

Niko nodded, hesitantly.

-

 

The cafe among the rooftops was just how they had left it. Checkerboard floors, the windows overlooking the city, and the dark-haired man behind the counter. 

 

“Oh hey, you’re back!” he said cheerfully, as Niko sat down on one of the stools. “Did you manage to fix the elevator?” 

 

“Mhm!” Niko nodded in affirmation. “John and I went down to the surface already! And…” Her thought was cut off by her stomach growling. “...well, I remembered there being a cafe here!” She concluded, slightly embarrassed. “Do you have pancakes?”

 

“We sure do!” the man smiled. 

 

“Wait, I don’t have any money…” Niko sighed as she checked her pockets. “Maybe I can help you… wash dishes or something?”

 

“No, no, it’s on the house!” the man declared. “Least I can do for the savior, right? Here, why don’t you take a seat? I’ll fry some up for you.” 

 

“Pancakes…” Niko drooled, eyes wide at the thought of biting into a thick stack.  _ I hope they’re good…  _

 

They were good. “These pancakes are incredible…” Niko mumbled between mouthfuls. “Thank you so much!”

 

“No problem!” The man smiled. “You looked really hungry.”

 

“Yeah… I thought this would be my last chance to eat something before I go in the Tower.” Niko said, smile dimming slightly. 

 

“Ah, gotcha.” he replied. “So… I guess pancakes are your favorite food?” 

 

“Mhm! ...well, almost!” Niko admitted. “My favorite food in the world are the special pancakes that my mama makes! She picks hazelnuts and grinds them up into the batter.”

 

“Oh wow, that sounds amazing!” the man laughed. 

 

“They taste amazing!” Niko replied, lost in a memory. “She always made them when I was feeling sad.” Something throbbed inside of her. “Or lonely… or…” 

 

The throbbing spread out from her chest and filled every part of her. And before Niko knew it, she was crying. “Mama… I really miss her...” She couldn’t stop. “...I just… have a bad feeling all of a sudden! Am I… even here to save the world?” A question without an answer. “People have been saying how the sun won’t fix anything! I don’t even know why I’m here... I just want to see my mama again...” 

 

“Oh, uh…” The man hesitated, unsure of how to comfort a crying child. “There, there… It’s gonna be okay! And… I’m sure you’ll be able to save the world! You’re a tough kid, you managed to get this far already, right?”

 

“Yeah, but-” Niko tried to reply, but was cut off. 

 

“And you’ll get to go home afterwards, right?” The man pressed. 

 

“Right…” Niko wiped her eyes.

 

“...Hey, want some more pancakes?” He lifted his frying pan to a ready position. 

 

“It’s ok…” Niko replied, finally stemming the flow of tears. “...I’ll be fine.”

 

“So… yeah! Thanks for coming by!” the man said. 

 

“Mhm! Thanks for listening…” Niko said. “And for the pancakes!” 

 

“No problem. Good luck!” he called after them as they left the cafe.

 

-

 

The base of the Tower. The structure, smooth grey stone without a single break in it, rose out of the red water stained by phosphor waste. A door lay ahead of Niko, the clover brooch clutched in her hand. It was time.

 

John urged her forward and she stepped through the threshold. The door closed behind her, leaving her in the midst of darkness. There was nothing visible- except for the floor, made of some kind of translucent glass lit from underneath. It was a large red square that filled the entire space of the floor, with a smaller white X inside of it. 

 

Niko could feel John’s shock. “Is everything alright?” she asked, resisting the urge to look up and face him as she spoke. There was no response as his emotions continued to turn over and over. 

 

“Do you know what to do next?” She tried a simple question, one with a yes or no answer. 

 

**Yes.**

 

“Ah.” That’s good, she thought to herself. But then why would he be so… afraid?

 

Niko did her best to smile. “Don’t worry about me. It’s just like the book said, right? It’ll be fine!” In truth she had no idea what was about to happen or why John was reacting like this. But, of course, she had no real choice but to have faith. In him, and in the Author who had written the book.

 

John hardened his uncertainty into a wavering resolve. He reached over, grabbed his mouse

 

And clicked the X button on the game’s window-

 

-

 

Niko opened her eyes to see the opposite of her previous surroundings- an empty white space that seemed to stretch out in all directions, forever. She was shocked and surprised, to be sure, but before she could act, the light faded and everything around her was back to darkness again.

 

“Is this… the inside of the Tower?” She guessed out loud. There was a thin layer of water over the floor. It sloshed around her boots as she lifted them experimentally.

 

“It’s… a lot darker than I thought.” she sighed, unable to see anything around her. Wait. It shouldn’t be completely dark- not with the Sun’s light. 

 

It dawned on her. “Where’s the sun?” She asked, eyes wide with fear, as she repeated her earlier search in a panic. “John… Do you know what happened to the sun?” 

 

Nothing responded.

 

 “John?” she repeated, reaching out to that strange connection that she had grown accustomed to. 

 

Nothing. 

 

“John!” she shouted, the loss of the sun and her guide overwhelming her with fear. “Say something!” Not even the background sensation of his emotions could be felt.

 

“What’s… going on…” 

 

-

 

“What the hell’s going on!” John growled, testing every button to see if they would respond, to no avail. “I can’t move, I can’t talk to Niko- is the game softlocked?” 

 

He had been so afraid of closing the game to solve the Tower’s puzzle, afraid that the game was trying to trick him into killing Niko at the last minute. Even though the guide had agreed, he had still been uncertain. The feeling of relief when everything had started back up, just like when Niko had used a bed before, was incredible. 

 

And then that all left him when he realized he’d lost his control over Niko. As he watched her begin to slowly panic, some distant part of himself noticed that the Sun was also gone. 

 

Niko began to run through the endless void, searching for him, for the Sun, for anything. There was nothing he could do.

 

-

 

The water splashed under her boots, soaking the ends of her coat. Niko’s eyes became blurry and she rubbed them, stumbling onward. 

 

There had to be an end to this place.

 

There had to be.

 

There. 

 

A computer, sitting on a desk. The same computer, from that room all the way back in the Barrens where she had awakened. 

 

A message appeared.

 

[Hello, Niko.]

 

“H… Hello…” She replied, trying to be polite.

 

[Congratulations. You are now inside The Tower.]

 

“Are you talking… to me, now?” Niko guessed, remembering their previous encounters.

 

[Correct.]

 

“But… you were always talking to John before. Where’s…”

 

[John has already left.]

 

-

 

John clenched his fists in an impotent rage. “So that’s how you want to play, bastard.” He hissed. “Fuck you.”

 

-

 

[I had to resort to contacting you directly.]

 

“Wait, so John is gone? Just like that?” Niko asked, unwilling to believe that the computer was telling the truth.

 

[Correct.]

 

“For good?”

 

[Correct. John has already finished their mission. ...And so have you, Niko.]

 

A bed appeared to her right, so suddenly it made her jump. 

 

[Here, you can rest now. Everything that’s happened here is like a bad dream. When you wake up, you will be home.]

 

Niko’s face lit up with joy. Seeing her mother again, returning to the peaceful fields… an end to this nightmare of darkness. 

 

But then she thought of John and her face fell. “But… I thought there’d be more to it, you know? I thought we were supposed to go to the top of the tower and place the sun. And now… I don’t even  **have** the sun anymore.”

 

She let out a long, shaky breath. “And John is just... gone. This feels wrong!”

 

[But you did good. You saved the world, Niko. Are you not happy?]

 

“I guess…”

 

The computer shut itself off. 

 

“I never even got to say goodbye to John…” Niko felt like something deep inside of her was broken.

 

With one last glance around her, she got into the bed, and closed her eyes-

 

-

 

And as for you, John… We’re done here. Please don’t return to this world anymore. The computer stated, again through dialogue boxes. And then the game closed again.  

 

John made a sound not unlike a boiling teakettle in frustration. “How about you don’t tell me what to do, prick!” he shouted, knowing that  _ it _ couldn’t hear him. “Stupid computer.” he muttered.

 

He reopened the game, unsure of what he would find. No menu, no cutscene. Just Niko, sleeping in that same bed in the middle of the darkness. He breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Then the game closed itself again. He gaped in shock, before slamming his fist onto his desk in anger. “Dammit!”

 

He reopened the game. He began to mash the buttons, to talk to Niko, to try anything that might awaken her and end this nightmare. But there was nothing he could do. No combination of buttons he could press or amount of enraged mashing would fix this. 

 

It was only after ten or so tries, when John felt completely defeated, that he remembered the guide. He opened it and devoured the instructions inside. “Alright then.” He said, lips curling upward into a malicious grin as he opened the game’s folder. “I’m taking the fight to you, now. You might control the game, but the files are mine. I’ll break this loop if it’s the last thing I do!”

 

-

 

The wheat fields were beautiful under the summer sun. Niko skipped merrily along, several stalks clutched in her arms. Nothing could ruin a day like this one, she thought. 

 

**Niko.**

 

She stiffened, turning around. There had been a voice, hadn’t there? Coming from somewhere…

 

**Niko!**

 

The wheat fell from her hands. She could feel them- triumph, relief, and joy. Emotions- but not hers.

 

What was happening? 

 

And then she remembered- that this was just another dream. It was time to wake up.

 

-

 

Niko had already rolled out of the bed and gotten to her feet, before she truly processed what had happened. She turned around with a gasp. “Hello? John? Was that you just now?” she asked the darkness.

 

There was no reply. 

 

“I thought I heard your voice… In my dream.” Niko said, feeling a little bit ashamed for hoping that would still be true.  _ Wait. _ She felt something inside her pocket, something hard and a bit pointy. 

 

Niko reached in and fished it out, revealing a black clover. It seemed to be made from a dark rock or glass. And it was warm to the touch, glowing faintly. She didn’t know how or why it had gotten there, but she held it in her hand and squeezed it tight. 

 

The computer was on again, it’s screen displaying a message.

 

[...You’re still here …Niko, why are you still here?] 

 

Niko had no response. But she had a growing suspicion that John was the reason why.

 

-

 

YOU. The entity shouted. 

 

“That’s right. Me.” John replied, arms folded. 

 

Why did you come back, John? I told you to stay away! ...you knew I tried to cut the story short, right? 

 

“You tricked Niko. You kept her  _ from _ me.” John hissed. “And you really thought I’d just sit here and take it?” 

 

...you want more out of me, is that it? FINE. If you don’t want to leave, then I’ll make sure you never do!

 

“Bring it.” John declared, adjusting the window of ♣.exe. “This time, I’m ready for your tricks. You won’t stop us.”

 

-

 

The computer and bed faded away in a  flash of light. Niko stared apprehensively at the wooden door that now stood before her. 

 

Of course, she had no other choice. She opened the door and stepped inside. 

 

And then she found herself in another dark area. This time, with corridors and pipes, and just enough light to see by. She walked and she walked and she walked, unsure of where to go. But in the back of her mind, she felt the slightest urge to continue…

 

-

 

Back then, I told you as little about the Entity as possible . The Author’s notes read. 

 

John moved them over the top of OneShot’s window, making sure that the clover symbols overlapped. The way forward was clear, so he moved Niko onward. 

 

Apologies for that. I did not want to put the librarian in danger. 

 

This being has a habit of silencing those who learn of its true nature. 

 

Regrettably, I have seen it happen to dear friends…

 

...Ah, but do not worry. The Entity cannot touch you. 

 

...Nor can it do anything to me.

 

I a̶l̵re҉ady̶ ͞l̡e̷f̵t ̷t҉h͘e҉ ͠wo̧rld o͟n̨ ̵my̶ ̨o̴wn term̧s̛.  John felt a shiver run down his spine. 

 

I never meant for the Entity to exist. 

 

But now that it is fully sentient, one thing became clear. 

 

The Entity seeks death. 

 

Death to itself, death to the world… A relentless desire, manifested physically.

 

You have already seen the scars. 

 

Right now, the Entity is doing everything it can to impede your progress, stalling for even a few minutes…

 

...Before you inevitably bring the Sun to the Tower’s summit. 

 

That is where, you, god, will make the final judgment for the world. 

 

Of course, the Entity will contact you again there. 

 

And when it does, it will trick you into shattering the Sun. 

 

This will end the world instantly.

 

…

 

I am sorry. I do not know what to do in a situation like this. 

 

No, no, it is not that simple. 

 

But I think I have to tell you the truth. 

 

The Sun is the messiah’s tie to the world. 

 

As long as the Sun is intact, the messiah remains trapped here.

 

Shattering the Sun may terminate this world, but…

 

It is also the only way for the messiah to return home.

 

I did not realize things could end up like this… Please forgive me. 

 

-

 

After a maze of bright white doors, Niko found herself in rooms where the floor lit up in a grid where she stepped. She decided to make patterns on the floor, and each time she finished one, she was sent to a new room in an instant. 

 

Just when she was beginning to wonder if this would continue forever, she found herself in a new room. Clouds surrounded her, giving the feeling of being high in the sky. A series of metal walkways beneath her feet. And at the center- 

 

“It’s the lightbulb. Thank goodness it’s safe.” She gasped, reaching out to take it. She picked it up in her hands. 

 

The relief of finally finding the Sun was replaced by that same broken feeling, back in full force. Tears began to leak from her eyes. “...I guess John isn’t coming back…”0 

 

**Niko, I’m here.**

 

That voice- she knew that voice. “John?” Niko replied, eyes wide in awe. 

 

**Yes?**

 

“Is that… really you? I thought… you were gone…”

**I never left you.** / “I never left you…”

 

“Oh! I was… feeling a bit scared back there… I thought I was completely alone! But that was silly of me to assume, wasn’t it? Ah, guess we need to figure out where to go now, and-”

 

She was cut off, as the Sun began to glow again.

 

“The Sun! It lit up on its own!” Niko said, lifting it with joy. “Let’s go!”

 

**Let’s.**

 

-

 

The next room was... very, very strange. “Is this… the room from before?” Niko asked, looking around. “Where I woke up back then?” 

 

There was the same fridge, the kitchen, the fireplace and TV. But everything was pristine and new, not old and decrepit. Even the plant in the bathroom was green and growing. 

 

But they were still not yet at the top of the Tower. They continued. 

 

-

 

So you actually made it here. 

 

“You again.” John grumbled. “It doesn’t matter what you say or do, you aren’t stopping us.”

 

I… guess you win, John. I’ll tell you how to save the world, then. When you reach the summit, shatter the lightbulb, and…

 

“Nice try, asshole. I’m not falling for that one.” John sneered. 

 

I know you’ve been getting help from a certain someone. He already told you about the choice, didn’t he?

 

“You bet.”

 

Are you still planning to save the world, John?

 

“If you’d asked me an hour ago, I’d have said yes without thinking twice. Now…” He thought of the Author’s words- how to send Niko home. “I’m not so sure.”

 

Why are you trying so hard for this?

 

“I made a promise to Niko. That’s all.”

 

Haven’t you even figured out what this world is?

 

“It’s just a game…” John repeated the familiar mantra. “A game, just like always.”

 

I told you at the beginning, your mission is to help Niko leave. Because Niko isn’t a part of this world. Niko is the only thing worth saving here.

 

...The final choice is up to you.

 

“It usually is.” John said, but there was no triumph or victory in his voice. 

 

I can’t go against my programming. 

 

You only have one shot, John. If you choose to smash the lightbulb, then Niko wakes up back home, like it was all a dream. 

 

But if you let Niko return the sun, the child will have to bear the weight of this sacrifice. 

 

At least, tell Niko the truth. ...You do care about Niko, don’t you?

 

“Dummy. Like you had to ask…” John said.

 

-

 

At the end of the hallway was an elevator. Niko felt a small amount of relief as she walked inside and it began to ascend.  _ We must be getting close now.  _ she thought. 

 

“...Sure is taking a while. I guess this elevator leads to the top of the tower, John.” Niko commented, wishing the elevator had windows. They should be incredibly high up by now.

 

John didn’t respond.

 

“...Are you excited, John?” She asked, trying to offer him a question to reply to. “We’re finally going to save the world… And I know it’s for real this time, ‘cause you’re here!”

 

“And then…” She shivered in excitement. “I’ll get to go home for real this time, too! I can’t wait to see everyone again!”

 

John didn’t say anything, but the worry and frustration she felt from him gave her pause. 

 

“Are you okay, John? You seem a little quiet.” she asked.

 

**Niko.**

 

“Yeah?”

 

**I need to tell you something.**

 

“...I’m listening.”

 

**We can’t save both. The world… and you…**

 

“Wh- What’s that supposed to mean, John?” She said, hoping that this was just a joke.

 

**To send you home… we must break the lightbulb.**

 

“What?” Niko gasped. “But won’t that…  won’t that end the world?” 

 

**Yeah.**

 

Such a simple response. “I don’t want that to happen…” she said, eyes downcast. “So what happens when we save the world? ...What happens to me?”

 

**...I don’t know.**

 

“You… don’t?” Niko mumbled. It was a strange feeling, to realize that John was just as lost and unsure as she was right now. She could feel his remorse, like it was crawling down her back. 

 

The elevator came to a stop. For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Niko wordlessly walked through the doors and left the elevator.

 

They were at the top of the Tower. A large, six-sided room with glass walls and a polished, reflective floor. The land spread out all around them, the Refuge’s buildings like tiny toys. And at the very center, a circular dias- clearly the Sun’s socket. 

 

**Lighthouse.**

 

“Huh?” Niko replied in confusion. 

 

**This room- just like a Lighthouse. There’s the bulb in the middle, and the glass so it can shine out.**

 

“Ah.” Niko replied dully. She knew the weight of the lightbulb hadn’t changed, but it just felt so  _ heavy  _ now. “So this is where the sun belongs...” She ran an arm along the dias’s socket, wiping off a thin layer of dust. “If I put the sun in here, we’ll be able to save the world, right?”

 

**...Yes.**

 

“...But if I want to go home… I’ll have to…” Niko’s eyes welled up. “...break it?”

 

**Yes.**

 

“Oh…” Niko wiped her eyes. “John? What… should I do?” She stood atop the world, the sun in her hands, facing the most difficult choice of her young life. 

 

She had to ask. John had guided her, had saved her already. He would know. “What’s the right thing to do?” 

 

**Niko.** He replied, voice contemplative. **I don’t know what’s ‘right’ any more than you do. I’m not a wise man, or anything like that.**

 

**But we have a story, where I’m from. A story about a town called Omelas.**

A bedtime story, then. Niko was familiar with these. 

 

**The town of Omelas was on a hill, overlooking a river that was both deep and wide. Its walls and houses were a pure white, so clean they almost glowed. There was no trash littered about their streets, and no one locked their doors at night. There was no fear of war- in their lands there was peace.**

 

His voice was even and calm. It was soothing to listen to.

 

**On the first day of summer, they held a grand festival, with a great parade and riders on horseback. The people shared what they had with each other happily. They had no kings, soldiers, priests, or slaves. And the people of Omelas were indescribably happy.**

 

**But.** And that one word represented a thousand more that went unsaid. 

 

**In the back streets, far from where people walked, there was a house. In that house, there was a basement. In that basement, a cell. And in that cell, a child.**

 

Niko’s blood ran cold. 

 

**An innocent child, taken from its mother’s arms at birth, kept in the filth and misery of imprisonment. It had never known the joy the rest of the inhabitants shared, it had never known the feeling of the sun on its body or the wind through its hair.**

 

**The city** **_required_ ** **their happiness and peace be maintained through this sacrifice. That one of their number should suffer, so that the rest should live.**

 

Niko felt the sensation that John was staring at her.  **Do you understand what the story means?**

 

Her mouth was dry. She nodded.

 

**There are many people down there, who’re hoping that you will save them.** His voice was filled with anger.  **Just trying to buy more sand for their glass.**

 

**I don’t know what will happen to you if you return the Sun.**

 

**But I’m** **_no_ ** **t going to trade your life and happiness for theirs.**

 

**Maybe... a world that requires a sacrifice like this... isn’t worth saving.**

 

Niko looked down, at the world below. There, the Barrens. Silver, and the other robots were down there, somewhere. The Ruins. Calmus and Alula, the rest of the inhabitants. The Refuge. The lamplighter, the shop owner, the library and everyone else she’d seen-

 

“Are you really going to leave everyone else to die?” Her voice broke. 

 

**_Niko_ ** **.** The warmth in his voice twisted something inside of her. 

 

**You’re the most important one here. I Promised that I’d send you home. I meant it.**

 

“What if I want to stay?” She challenged. “If I can save the people here, if I can help them-”

 

**If, Niko, if. It’s like-** John growled as he struggled to find the words.  **This world itself wants to die…**

  
  
  


Niko turned away. “So neither choice is ‘right’. What do we do now?” she pleaded.

 

**What do we do, indeed.** John muttered to himself.  **When you get presented with an impossible choice between two bad options, what do you do?**

 

Niko had no words. 

 

**You don’t choose either one.** John declared.  **You make your own choice. We’ll send you home- our own way. We’ll figure out how to fix the world at the roots, not just by replacing the sun.**

 

“Really?” Niko asked, hope filling her. And then it was tempered by realism, as she thought of the difficulty of the task ahead.  “How?”

 

**The world still has some time left- it’s not much, but it’s enough. If I can find the Author, and we can work together, then-**

 

“We’ll make it work.” Niko grinned. “We can find a way to save both!” She felt the weight of the choice lift from her shoulders. 

 

**At least we can say we tried.** John sighed.  **And if worse comes to worse, we already have a way to send you home at any time. I’m not giving up on you, Niko.**

 

Niko smiled.  _ Wait for me, Mama. I’ll be home before you know it!  _

 

**First, we should go back to the Library. The Author mentioned that he ‘already left this world,’ but that means I should be able to find him from my world. Hopefully**

 

“Right! And I’ll be able to go through all of his books  _ here,  _ just to be sure we aren’t missing anything!” Niko declared, her mind racing. 

 

**That’s the spirit.** John chuckled.  **We can do this. Together.**

 

“Together.” Niko replied. That broken feeling inside of her didn’t hurt so much anymore. And as the two of them descended the Tower, it felt like all the darkness and fear from the climb was just like a bad dream. 


	24. An Ending

Jumping between different worlds or universes was an understated and near-instant process, at least if John wasn’t using his fancy special effects. All that happened on Niko’s end was a brief moment of darkness and nothingness, and then she was on another world as if nothing had happened. 

 

But this time, she was floating in the middle of a blue tunnel of swirling clouds, hurtling through space at an unimaginable speed. John was humming some bizarre sounding song in the background- another one of his inside jokes, most likely. 

 

Normally, she would have called him out for making the trip take longer because he wanted it to look cool.  _ But this time around, it’s almost fitting.  _ She thought to herself.  _ After all, I’m finally going home…  _

 

**So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you arrive?** John asked. 

 

“I’m going to run up to mama and give her the biggest hug ever!” Niko said excitedly. 

 

**And what’s the second thing?**

 

“And then I’ll help her make pancakes, with hazelnuts and peanut butter!”

 

**You do realize that it’s almost suppertime already.** John chuckled. 

 

“What’s wrong with pancakes for supper?” Niko pouted. “They’re perfect, and mama’s are the most perfect of them all!”

 

**I dunno, those pancakes at that diner were really good…** John teased.

 

“There’s no way they could be better than mama’s.” Niko said with finality. “And after we have pancakes, I’m going right to bed!”

 

**Yeah, I guess you’d be tired after all this.** John exhaled.  **Anyone would, after traveling halfway across the galaxy to get back home.**

 

“And I’m looking forward to mama’s bedtime stories again!” Niko cheered. “Er, no offense, John, but yours aren’t the same.”

 

**Hey, ‘The Shrine Maiden of Paradise’ is awesome and if you don’t like it, it’s your own fault. Of course, I had to take a lot of stuff out, but still…**

 

“It’s not your fault.” Niko said reassuringly. “You really tried, and I think you did pretty good helping me out with everything.

 

**Thanks, Niko. That means a lot to me.** John said, sounding melancholy.  **We’re coming to the end here. Sorry for making the Jump take so long, I just wanted to spend some more time with you.**

 

“It’s alright, you’re going to come visit soon. Right?” Niko asked.

 

**Yeah, that’s true.** John said.  **Sorry for the showy Jump, I just wanted some more time to talk before you go.**

 

“I don’t mind talking with you.” Niko said. “It’s been really fun, when it wasn’t scary. I really think I’ve learned a lot about things.”

 

**Oh, you have, have you?** John said teasingly.  **Just don’t get too complacent. There’s always new things to learn, and if you aren’t careful, they’ll smack you silly for not paying attention.**

 

“I know.” Niko groused. “I’ve got a whole notebook filled with ‘Johnisms’ already.”

 

**Well, I’d like to think my long winded advice is at least somewhat useful.** John laughed.  **You know, you remind me a lot of myself when I was younger?**

 

“Really?” Niko asked, trying to imagine a tiny John wearing her hat and robe. It was a pretty strange mental image. 

 

**I mean it. You’re excitable, and optimistic, and really really curious. I still remember the first time I realized how big the world really was. And the more you learn, the more you realize you still don’t know.**

 

“Well, at least that way we won’t ever run out of things to learn, or discover.” Niko reasoned. “If you really did know everything, wouldn’t things get really boring?”

 

**Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Don’t ever forget that nobody’s perfect, Niko.** John lectured.  **Even if they say that they know the right thing to do, don’t just take their word for it. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t trust people, but you have to find a balance between skepticism and trust.**

 

“Didn’t we talk about this already?” Niko said. “I think we talked about this already. I’m going to be fine, John.” 

 

**It’s not just you I’m worried about…**

 

The colorful light show abruptly ended, fading away into non-existence around Niko. Without the movement of the tunnel, she lost all sensation of movement and merely seemed to be floating in blackness. A year ago, a dark void like this would be something right out of a nightmare. Now, the emptiness between worlds was like an old, comfortable friend, molded by John’s control into an easy bridge across the cosmos. 

A gap in the darkness opened up, the golden light of evening shining through. The small buildings of the village stood in the distance amidst the sea of wheatfields. 

 

**Here we are. You’re home.** John said softly. 

 

Niko was momentarily at a loss for words. The familiar sight that she’d seen in her dreams every night for the last eight months was finally there, in person. It was almost surreal, the feeling of surprise and dissonance that filled her, looking at the landscape that should have been familiar and heartwarming.    
  
Nothing had changed, everything was in its proper place and exactly as she remembered it.  _ Maybe it’s me. I’m the one that changed. _

 

“I guess that this means goodbye, then? It’s… really over.”

 

**Yeah. For real this time. You’re going home, Niko.**

 

Niko turned away from the portal, her eyes growing moist. “I… promise I’ll never forget this world! I promise I’ll never forget you, John.”

 

**The Entity said that to you- all this will seem like a dream. Even if you don’t forget, what’s to say that it won’t just be like any other dream?**

 

“Really? Come on, you know me better than that, John! What happened here, how everyone back on Prime was saved… There’s no way I could forget… Even if I wanted to.” The emotions overwhelmed her and it became hard to speak.

 

Niko turned back to the portal. “You… Take care of yourself, okay? I mean it!” 

 

**You too. You’re gonna do great things, Niko. No matter where or what happens.** She could hear the smile in his voice. 

 

**Goodbye, Niko.**

 

“Goodbye, John.”

 

-

 

John watched as Niko’s sprite walked out of the Link window and continued off of the screen. He double checked the system processes, making sure there wasn’t any lingering connections or programs that remained active- thankfully, there were none. 

 

After taking one last look to double-check, he was assured that Niko was truly home. He reached out to turn his jury-rigged program setup off- and hesitated. It had been eight months since this whole thing started. He hadn’t turned the program off since then. His computer was beginning to run slower from the lack of a restart in all that time. 

 

John guessed that he hadn’t realized how much of a difference Niko had made in his life. Each morning when he got up, he made sure the connections were all still working and said hello. Each night, he did the same checks and said good night. His web browser was still full of dozens of tabs as he did research on various programming terms and scientific phenomena.

 

He was a half-decent coder by now, taught by desperation and necessity. Pretty much all of his free time had gone into keeping Niko alive, safe, and happy.

 

And now all of that was gone.  He hit the restart button on the desktop, leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling, and let out a long breath. 

 

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

 

He typed his password back in, opened everything back up again, idly checked Youtube and Discord. He’d stopped using Reddit some time between when he’d started all of this. 

 

John hadn’t told anybody about his experience with Niko. After all, who would believe him if he said his computer game connected to a person in another dimension and let him sorta kinda rewrite localized reality? Hell, he had barely believed it at first. 

 

It had been difficult, figuring out how to get certain programs working for purposes they hadn’t been intended for. Thankfully random people on tech forums usually didn’t ask many questions like ‘why do you want an image transfer app to support this .cha file extension? And for that matter, what’s a .cha file?”

 

Whatever. He had a lot more time on his hands now, he might as well get started working on the fifteen story ideas he’d been using Niko as an excuse to procrastinate on. 

 

He closed out of Youtube, opened up Docs, and sat there in a staring contest with the blinking text cursor. Flipping through his story ideas and their notes, he cursed himself. “What the hell is any of this shit! It’s all crap!”

 

 This one was just a crossover for the sake of a shitpost. This other one was literally a single sentence premise. And there were _so many of them,_ it would take years to finish all of these. “Worthless…”

 

His resolve wavered, and he caught himself opening Youtube again in an attempt to escape into the void of easy entertainment- brain not required. He growled, closing the tab with a burst of effort, turning his attention back to the stories.

 

_ ‘Writer’s block’ isn’t the right term… More like ‘Writer’s a lazy piece of shit.’  _

 

All his ideas were old. They were juvenile power fantasies, exceedingly simple, or both. 

 

There were so many things he could do. He could write, he could watch videos, he could play a game, call his friends, or go outside and take a walk. He could even just give up and go back to bed.

 

John sat there, feeling nothingness wash over and around him.

 

-

 

Niko sprinted forward over the unsteady ground, running into the light. Her eyes were blurry with unshed tears, and her breath was labored and rough. But she could see her mother, she was right there in the field-

 

A sensation like splashing into a pool of water stunned her momentarily, and Niko fell flat on her face, skidding to a halt in the dirt. “Owwww…”  she groaned, picking herself up. 

 

“Niko?” a familiar voice called. 

 

“Mama!” she screamed, pushing herself to her feet and leaping forward into a flying tackle. Her aim was perfect, as her arms wrapped around her mother into a giant hug. 

 

Her mother used the momentum to carry Niko into a spin, holding her up high as they both laughed and cried. “Niko… I was so worried about you…” 

 

“It’s okay. I’m back. I’m fine…” Niko mumbled, burying her face in her mother’s shoulder. There were many more questions that Mother wanted to ask, to be sure, but those could come later. For now, this was enough. Their daughter was back. 

 

Mother would have carried Niko all the way back to town if Niko hadn’t protested. “I can walk just fine, Mama.” But she didn’t object to holding her mother’s hand as they walked together. 

 

The town was just how Niko remembered it, the low, wooden buildings and the clock tower, visible above the other roofs. It was getting late, and the sun had almost set, so the street to their house was nearly empty. 

 

“If I’d known you were going to be back, I’d have gotten supper finished already!” Mother laughed. “It’s fine, mama. I’m just happy to be back.” Niko replied, pushing all the other thoughts out of her head. 

 

There it was. Their home. At a glance, no different from any of the surrounding wooden homes, with it’s tin roof and small, paned windows. The mailbox was full to the point of overflowing, and a thin stream of smoke rose from the chimney. 

 

Mother realized that Niko had stopped to look at the house, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Do you need a minute?” she asked kindly. Niko shook her head and stepped forward to open the door. It swung easily, but the hinges creaked just like they always did. 

 

“Just a second!” came a deep, familiar voice from the kitchen. Niko’s eyes widened. “Papa!” she shouted, rushing through the living room and vaulting over the couch into the kitchen. Father was standing by the stove, without his glasses and with one of Mother’s aprons on, frozen in place with a spoon in his hand. A pot of soup on the stove, boiling and ignored. 

 

“Niko.” he breathed, the spoon falling from limp fingers. Niko spread her arms wide for a hug, and he knelt to return it in an explosive motion that almost knocked the wind out of her. 

 

“You’re back home…” Niko said. “That’s my line, isn’t it?” he replied, smiling through his own tears. “You made us so worried, Niko…” Mother reached the kitchen doorway, looking in on the reunion with a wide smile.

 

Niko broke the hug with one last squeeze, adopting her best apologetic expression. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long… a lot of stuff happened.” 

 

Father looked troubled. “No, don’t be. I should be the one that’s sorry. I should have been here for you and your mother.”

 

“Isn’t your work important?” Niko asked. It was important enough for him to be gone most of the year, and only visit on holidays. 

 

“Not as important as the two of you are.” Father smiled tenderly. “I hurried back as soon as I heard you were gone.”

 

“Oh…” Niko wasn’t sure what to say. 

 

Thankfully, Mother filled the silence by stepping past them and removing the soup from the stove. “Supper’s almost ready.” She said over her shoulder. “Be sure to wash up first.” 

 

Niko nodded, taking off her knapsack and  before scampering off to the bathroom. 

 

Father got up from his knees slowly, locking eyes with Mother. “Something’s not right.” he said, almost like he didn’t want to believe his own words. 

 

Mother let out a long sigh. “If she was lost in the wilds for a whole week, she’d be starving- and she clearly isn’t. She didn’t pay any mind to supper.”

 

Father’s gaze wandered to the knapsack. It was a dark, olive green, and it’s canvas fabric was somewhat dirty and worn. He reached out and hefted it with one hand. “Where did she get this from?” He wondered out loud. “It’s well made. Was expensive, once.” 

 

Mother closed a cupboard slightly harder than was necessary. “If she wasn’t lost in the wilds, then where was she?” 

 

“Someone else had her, then.” Father said. “Someone who gave her this.” He put the knapsack back down where he had picked it up, noting it was quite heavy for its size.

 

“But then why did they let her go? Right back into the fields, where we’ve been looking?” Mother asked, her voice trembling slightly. “Niko would tell us if something happened… Wouldn’t she?”

 

Father’s mouth was set in a thin line. “Just finish working on supper. I’ll go talk to the others, let them know that Niko’s back.”

 

“Right.” Mother said. “I just want all of this to be over, Will. I just want to know Niko’s safe.”

 

“So do I.” Father replied. “We’ll get through this, together.” He leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek, before they both returned to their duties. 

 

-

 

Niko dug into the soup with gusto. It was delicious, thick with vegetables and with large hunks of bread to soak it all up. Incredible, how no matter where you went in the universe, you would never find food just like mama’s.

 

In fact, Niko was so engrossed in the meal that she was surprised when Father dropped her pack onto the table with a thunk. Mother shot him a worried glance, but his eyes were locked on Niko. “Where’d you get this?” he asked in an even tone of voice.

 

Niko swallowed, wondering what the right thing to do would be.  _ John?  _ But she remembered he wasn’t there anymore. It was up to her to decide. 

 

So Niko decided to tell her father the truth. “I got it from George, the librarian.” She replied. “It was a going-away present.”

 

Father’s eyes narrowed. “George the librarian, huh.” he muttered, taking another bite of bread. 

 

Niko’s heart sank. He didn’t believe her.

 

“And how’d you and this George person meet?” he asked sharply. 

 

“I had to go and find a book at the Refuge’s library from the Author, and I needed help finding it.”

 

“What actually happened to you, Niko?” Father replied. His voice was calm, but she could see his jaw stiffen, and somehow that scared her more than if he had been shouting at her. 

 

Mother was worried now, and decided to speak. “Will, this isn’t-”

 

Father lifted his hand to cut her off. “Niko. You’re safe here.” He took a deep breath to calm himself. “You aren’t in any danger. We’re going to get the bastard that did this to you-” 

 

“Will!” Mother almost howled in outrage. 

 

“-but we need you to tell us the truth.” His eyes were like steel. “Who took you and  _ where  _ did they take you?”

 

Niko swallowed. “It was the World Machine.” 

 

Father blinked. “What?”

 

“The World Machine- an AI, from another world, far far away. It…” Niko struggled to find the words. “It needed to bring someone to fix the sun, a savior. It summoned me.” 

 

She looked at her parents’ expressions and began to explain faster. “It didn’t want to do it, but it didn’t have a choice! The world was dying, and I met John, and Silver, and George, and everyone else! We saved the world, and it was like a miracle!”

 

Niko realized she was standing up and shouting, and retreated back into her chair. “I was taken… but I had to do it. I needed to save the world to come back home. I wasn’t just going to let them die.” 

 

After a long pause, Father spoke. “What’s in the sack?”

 

“What’s in it right now? Memories, mostly.” Niko replied. “Gifts and mementos from all of the people I met.”

 

Father slowly opened the top flap and looked inside. Layers upon layers of sealed pouches, lining the walls and squeezed in around each other in ways that made his head hurt to look at. The shocked expression on his face said it all. 

 

“Yeah, it’s bigger on the inside…” Niko said sheepishly. “I’m not sure how it works either.”

 

He reached in carefully, and withdrew a small, teardrop shaped crystal. It was a light blue color, covered in frost, and notably cold to the touch. 

 

“Ooh, that’s the ice  _ magatama _ .” Niko leaned in for a closer look. “It pushes heat away from it, so it puts out fires as long as you’re fairly close to them.”

 

An incredible artifact that generated its own cold, in violation of thermodynamics. “And  _ this _ was a gift from a friend.” Father asked in disbelief. 

 

“Right… She didn’t need it anymore, so she let me have it.” Niko said. 

 

“I see.” Father replied, putting the sack back down. “Niko. We can go over the rest of this later.  I think… you should come with me now.”

 

“What’re you talking about, Dad?” Niko asked, shooting a questioning glare over to Mother. 

 

Mother nodded in assent, and Father got up from the table. “You know how I’m always gone for work?” he said.

 

Niko followed, nodding hesitantly. “You mentioned how you’re working with physics, yeah…” He had tried explaining some of that stuff to her but it had gone right over her head. 

 

“When I came home this week, I brought some of my equipment home with me without thinking about it.” Father continued. “And then once I got here, it started picking up unusual energy readings. Very unusual readings, information that seemed flat-out incorrect. My bosses saw the reports and ordered further study to be conducted.”

 

Father walked to the back door and opened it. Behind the house was a trailer without windows and a large satellite dish on the top. 

 

“Papa? What’s that?” Niko asked, wondering how she hadn’t seen it on the way in. 

 

“One of the department’s mobile labs.” Father replied, walking up to the trailer’s door and swinging it open. “They sent some of my colleagues along to help with the testing process.”

 

The inside of the trailer was filled with computers and strange devices, littered with antennas and other equipment Niko couldn’t make any sense of. Several server racks hummed in the background. 

 

“What is all this?” Niko asked. 

 

“It’s all part of my job.” her father replied. “We were testing the background radiation of the universe- until we noticed anomalies appearing.”

 

A short, cheerful looking man in a lab coat looked up from his computer and smiled. “Doctor Hamilton. It’s good to see you.” he said, shaking Father’s hand.

 

“No, Patrick, the pleasure is mine.” Father returned the smile, putting one hand on Niko’s shoulder. “I’d like to introduce my daughter, Niko.”

 

“Nice to meet you, young lady!” Patrick smiled. 

Niko returned his handshake. “So you work with my father?” she asked. 

 

“Well, yes! It’s been a dream of mine for years, anyway.” Patrick replied. “The department sent me because I wasn’t busy with any other projects at the moment.” 

 

“Anyway, Niko, this is why I had all those questions earlier.” Father smiled apologetically. “As your father, I was worried about what had happened to you. And as a scientist- well, all the data we’ve found just didn’t make any sense.”

 

“No, it’s fine.” Niko replied. “I… was just worried you wouldn’t believe me if I told you the truth.”

 

“To be honest, learning you’ve been traveling between universes is probably the least crazy thing that’s happened this week.” Father said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

 

“Wow. It’s been that bad?” Niko asked.

 

“Light from stars, stopping and starting. Calculations that should be consistent are giving different and illogical results. The flow of time itself is apparently distorting, probably because of events in parallel universes. And that’s only what we’ve been able to confirm by ourselves.” Father said. “It’s been the most exciting, and the most frustrating, week of my career.” 

 

“Wait-” Patrick turned around on his chair, his computer forgotten. “You’ve been universe hopping?”

 

“Right.” Niko replied. “For about eight months.”

 

Patrick and Father shared an incredulous look. 

 

“What?” Niko asked. “I know it’s been a while-” Then, it hit her. “It’s only been a week since I left, hasn’t it…”

 

“Almost eight days.” Father breathed. 

 

“Well, if time is being distorted within our own universe, then it could be completely different in other universes.” Patrick reasoned. “In fact, maybe our distortions are just reflections of alternate timelines…”

 

As Patrick and Father launched into a lively discussion, Niko found herself somewhat lost. She still did her best to answer their questions and add what she knew about the situation. 

 

She wished John was there. He’d be able to do a better job explaining this stuff than she could, he was the one who dealt with it all the time before. But this was good anyway.

 

It was funny and strange and bizzare, but Niko finally felt like she was home.

 

-

 

Hey, John. I’m not sure what you’re up to by now, or if you still remember me. No, I’m sure you remember. I haven’t forgotten. Maybe I will one day, but that’s why I’m writing stuff like this, so I won’t forget. I’ve also been drawing pictures of everyone too. I’m not that good at it, but Mama said she loves all of them anyway.

 

Things here have been good. Quiet. Peaceful. Sometimes, when it’s late at night and I can’t sleep, I stay up thinking about things. We saved a world together. I don’t know if I’ll ever do anything  _ that _ important ever again. 

 

But I guess that’s okay. Papa’s working from home now, so we get to see him every day. I’ve been helping Mama cook, and I’ve been catching up with school. It’s funny... I’ve only been gone for a week on my world, so it’s like I barely left. But I still remember being gone for months and months! Papa measured me and I’m almost an inch taller now.

 

Oh, and Papa’s scientist friends asked me a bunch of questions. We’re still going through all of the stuff in the bag... it’s been fun, mostly. It helps that Papa believes me. I overheard them talking about theories and trying to work out world coordinates, so maybe we’ll be able to start jumping to places all on our own! Maybe. It’ll be a while before we know for sure.

 

I just wanted you to know- no matter what you’re going through or trouble you’re having, don’t give up. We’re not giving up over here, so you’d better not give up over there, you hear! 

 

I miss you. I’m sure we’ll see each other again, someday. 

 

Maybe next time,  _ I’ll  _ be the one who comes to visit  _ you.  _ Hehe! 

 

Your friend, Niko

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting my older stuff from SB. There might be a few edits here and there because most of this is pretty old.


End file.
